Re: Swap on loop device on tmpfs locks up machine

[Bill Davidsen <davidsen@tmr.com>]

David Newall wrote:
> Vegard Nossum wrote:
>> It turns out that swap over loop device on tmpfs will lock up the
>> machine.
> 
> Doesn't tmpfs use otherwise-free virtual memory?  I expect the machine
> would lock up if you put swap (i.e. additional virtual memory) on such a
> device.

To reinstate the paragraph from the O.P. you snipped:
 >> I'm not sure it's really a very good idea to do this in the first
 >> place, but should something give a warning or prevent a user from
 >> doing it?

I think you are both right, it is a bad thing to do, it does seem to lock up, 
and something should prevent a user from doing that. But it may be easier to fix 
the lockup than get the "prevent" right, there appears to be a loop there.

Just a simple questions to the O.P.: what were you thinking?!! Or was this a 
test just to see what would happen?

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen@tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot