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Re: Permissions db in "mounted-over /dev" <-> "normal directory"

To: Robert Siemer <siemer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Permissions db in "mounted-over /dev" <-> "normal directory"
From: Richard Gooch <rgooch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 09:25:58 -0600
Cc: devfs@xxxxxxxxxxx
In-reply-to: <20010816112510F.siemer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
References: <20010816112510F.siemer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sender: owner-devfs@xxxxxxxxxxx
Robert Siemer writes:
> Hi!
> 
> Until today I was clueless what the difference between
> "Permissions database stored in mounted-over /dev" and
> "Permissions database stored in normal directory" is.
> 
> (http://www.atnf.csiro.au/~rgooch/linux/docs/devfs.html#persistence)
> 
> Main problem was missing documentation of "mount --bind" as my old
> mount man page did not mentioned it. I upgraded "mount" but "--bind"
> is still missing in the man page. Just the command on its own gave a
> clue:

Complain to Andries to get the man page fixed.

> One can also mount an already visible directory tree elsewhere:
>        mount --bind olddir newdir
> 
> Now I see the difference in both mentioned approaches - there is
> nearly no one!
> 
> In the end (everything is mounted) both solution have their database
> in /dev-state and devfs in (e.g.) /dev.
> 
> While unmounted you can see it this way:
> mounted-over /dev:
>  -/dev       is holding the database (and mountpoint, too)
>  -/dev-state is empty (mountpoint only)
> normal directory:
>  -/dev       is empty (mountpoint only)
>  -/dev-state is holding the database
> 
> 
> I hope I'm correct here...

Yep.

> And as "mounted-over /dev" needs a new mount and recent kernel:
> what's its gain?

- You don't need to copy inodes from /dev to /dev-state

- you can seamlessly switch between devfs and non-devfs systems
  without worrying about copying permissions over.

                                Regards,

                                        Richard....
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