Re: Problems with mkfs.xfs

[Nathan Scott <nathans@sgi.com>]

hi,

On Wed, Aug 08, 2001 at 09:53:34PM -0500, Eric Sandeen wrote:
> Detlef Vollmann wrote:
> 
> > Minor problem: syntax
> > mkfs.xfs does not conform to the mkfs syntax (at least not to
> > the one described in mkfs(8) on Linux and which I know since
> > more than 15 years now :-}
> >   mkfs -t xfs /dev/xxx 1234
> > produces just an error message on the size parameter :-(
> 
> Part of the problem here is that "mkfs" is really just a wrapper for the
> actual "mkfs.foo" for each filesystem "foo"... the mkfs man page was
> probably written before there were any filesystems that had the concept
> of a log.  So when the filesystem has 2 or even 3 things that can get a
> size, (data, log, realtime...) simply placing a number of blocks at the
> end is ambiguous.

Yup.  From an XFS point of view, I guess the only sane interpretation
for this extra argument would be to treat it as the size of the data
device.  Or just not worry about it - it may actually be more helpful
to see the usage message & know what mkfs options are available.

cheers.

-- 
Nathan