[Voyage-linux] Re: Comments about 0.6.2 and /rw /ro replacement by aufs a good idea? I don't think so ...

[Raimund Berger]

Kim-man 'Punky' TSE <punkytse-bXEzZViHzIBBDgjK7y7TUQ at public.gmane.org>
writes:

> The problem with ro/ rw/ is that when you install new packages, the
> new files created somewhere under /var/ is lost after reboot, and you
> need to carefully and manually create the symlink in /ro to /rw

Not lost but rather not writable. The files are still there on the disk
filesystem, and a clear symptom that files have been created under /var
is that you can't do a "remountro" after package installation but rather
get a "filesystem busy".

So at this point you know your new package has files under /var which
aren't yet in /rw resp. /ro. All I did in this case was an "lsof" on the
respective processes, maybe also consulted the logs and fixed the
stuff. It never took to long, maybe an hour at most.

The problem with aufs on the other hand is that it isn't part of the
kernel and never will be. That has repeatedly been said on the kernel
list. Instead, kernel developers are in the process of building an own
unionfs which isn't ready yet though.

So if somebody installs maybe twice in a year an additional package but
regularly a new kernel to maybe keep track of latest netfilter
improvements, building aufs and sorting out possible aufs issues is much
more hassle than taking care of the /var files of a new package. That's
why I for one decided to stick with voyage 0.5.

Just to complete the picture.

Regards, R.