From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Return-Path: <linux-kernel-owner+w=401wt.eu-S1030986AbXDJQHm@vger.kernel.org>
Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand
	id S1030986AbXDJQHm (ORCPT <rfc822;w@1wt.eu>);
	Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:07:42 -0400
Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1030985AbXDJQHl
	(ORCPT <rfc822;linux-kernel-outgoing>);
	Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:07:41 -0400
Received: from mail-out.m-online.net ([212.18.0.9]:48585 "EHLO
	mail-out.m-online.net" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org
	with ESMTP id S1030982AbXDJQHl (ORCPT
	<rfc822;linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>);
	Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:07:41 -0400
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:08:17 +0200
From: Olaf Hering <olaf@aepfle.de>
To: Gene Heskett <gene.heskett@gmail.com>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Dave Dillow <dave@thedillows.org>,
       Dave Jones <davej@redhat.com>, Jan Engelhardt <jengelh@linux01.gwdg.de>,
       "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@zytor.com>, Jeff Garzik <jeff@garzik.org>
Subject: Re: I give up
Message-ID: <20070410160817.GA32747@aepfle.de>
References: <200704091007.58535.gene.heskett@gmail.com> <1176169246.3193.2.camel@obelisk.thedillows.org> <20070410071217.GA28899@aepfle.de> <200704100351.33699.gene.heskett@gmail.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Disposition: inline
In-Reply-To: <200704100351.33699.gene.heskett@gmail.com>
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.13 (2006-08-11)
Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org
X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org

On Tue, Apr 10, Gene Heskett wrote:

> On Tuesday 10 April 2007, Olaf Hering wrote:
> >On Mon, Apr 09, Dave Dillow wrote:
> >> It's not /dev he's backing up -- its /home, /usr, and others. GNU tar
> >> saves the device and inode numbers from the {,l}stat() call on each
> >> file and decides it is a new file if either number changes from run to
> >> run.
> >
> >So fix tar to not do silly things.
> >Kernel major:minor numbers are not stable.

I forgot to add: '.. not stable across reboots.'

> YOU Tell that to the tar/star people, they are flabbergasted that its not 
> stable.  It apparently is for every other OS tar can be run on.

They probably have a point with the st_dev usage.
You better find out why your major:minor pairs keep jumping around.
Simply because the 'not stable across reboot' statement holds only for
added/removed disks and maybe if the detection order changes.
If your setup relies on a certain order, make sure the drivers get
loaded in a fixed order. Its not clear from your other mails what
exactly caused it. If its only due to a temporary change in
testkernels, noone can do anything about it.