From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Thu, 9 Aug 2001 13:45:37 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Thu, 9 Aug 2001 13:45:17 -0400 Received: from imo-r06.mx.aol.com ([152.163.225.102]:13288 "EHLO imo-r06.mx.aol.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Thu, 9 Aug 2001 13:45:12 -0400 From: Floydsmith@aol.com Message-ID: <6a.11d48002.28a42627@aol.com> Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 13:45:11 EDT Subject: can't get buffer cache to flush with /dev/ram with 2.4.4 using "update"/"sync" To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org CC: Floydsmith@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL 4.0 for Windows 95 sub 14 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Hello all, I boot linux using "loadlin" with an "initrd" ram disk image ("minix" type fs) of size 32 Meg with kernel 2.4.4. The /linuxrc (a C executable) runs and it shows that the mounted file sysem is of proper type and size. Then my "linuxrc" extracts a "tar" achrive (to populate the mounted /dev/ram [on "/"]) with a small subset of "linux" about (18 Meg) (as a "rescue" floppy boot). Before the "extract", debug code shows that the "cached" entry in "/proc/meminfo" to be practically zero (and thus plenty of "freemem"). However, after the "extract", the "cached" line shows about "18Meg" and I can find nothing that works to "flush" it. I have tried "spawing" "/sbin/update" and waiting several min. and running "/bin/sync" and also waiting - no change in the "cahed" entry (or and increase in the "freemem"). (ps -ef shows a process "bdflush" running [spawned] on its own.) Thus, trying to bring up a "logon" shell (and its "init" scripts) results in that process being killed do to lack of "freemem". I have only 64M and less than 4 Meg free after the "extract". Any suggestions greatly appreciated in advance. If there any "syscall" I can make in "linuxrc" that will flush "all" buffers without knowing anything like "file descriptors"? Is this "syscall" "synchronus" - or do do I have wait several seconds for it to work? This problem does NOT occur with 2.2.18. Floyd,