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From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.development.system
Subject: Re: The better (more suitable)Unix?? FreeBSD or Linux
Date: 17 Feb 1996 21:57:12 GMT
Organization: Utah Valley State College, Orem, Utah
Lines: 49
Message-ID: <4g5ivp$28m@park.uvsc.edu>
References: <4er9hp$5ng@orb.direct.ca> <4fg8fe$j9i@pell.pell.chi.il.us> <311C5EB4.2F1CF0FB@freebsd.org> <4fjodg$o8k@venger.snds.com> <4fo1tu$n31@news.jf.intel.com> <DMrCE4.3HF@pe1chl.ampr.org> <4ftjt9$fjs@park.uvsc.edu> <DMv8w7.8H4@pe1chl.ampr.org>
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Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:14538 comp.os.linux.development.system:18269
rob@pe1chl.ampr.org (Rob Janssen) wrote:
] So, what is it that synchronously updating metadata is really buying you?
]
] When the answer is "nothing, really" and it does slowdown the system,
] I don's see why I would use it.
] When you want to use it, go ahead.
Sigh.
I know my explanations have been more technical than the average
user's interest level. I will try and distill them:
1) Sync enhances the security of your files following a
crash and makes sure that part of one of your files
does not end up in someone elses hands.
2) Sync increases the probability that things you did
right before the machine went down on you aren't going
to get lost.
3) Sync makes your machine go slower on a bogus-as-hell
create 1000 files/delete 1000 files benchmark that
really doesn't mimic normal system usage at all.
4) Sync makes no difference in user perception of speed
unless you're the type of user who lives to run bogus
benchmarks, and then claim they represent a single
figure-of-merit to use when picking your machine.
FreeBSD users: leave the default mount options alone.
Linux users: set the sync option on your ext2fs mounts;
you may have to update your Linux.
Both users: use async mounts to run you bogus benchmarks
and to restore your system if you are root,
since you can probably crash once during a
restore and still have a time win.
There.
Terry Lambert
terry@cs.weber.edu
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.