Avoid Nand For Storage

[InSearchOf]

Basicly have a "first boot" app that runs and asks:

Would you like to place all additional data on external storage?

If yes... gives you the option to select drive and/or setup your partitioning scheme and once complete it will make all the needed changes... in fstab, ipkg.conf, etc... then writes to a file to not require app to run on next boot..

If no... it writes to a file that is a trigger on next boot not to ask

Also setting up a swap swap could be an optional feature...

Just brain storming...

Late

[Antikx]

Nice poll.
I've been thinking along these lines too. If you're willing to accept it I would be happy to help.

[adf]

like altboot on OZ?  I thought UBOOT could do this?
honestly I7d like to see a partition scheme that used the nand for essentially read only system files, but I guess that would end up pretty weird in actual practice


A good idea to have the option...especially if we could set it up to use...say multiple sd cards for multiple/experimentfal setups?  would sure make testing and configuration faster and easier

[alban42]

I thought that the idea of Using internal NAND  was to Reduce Power Consumption I am rinning OZ on my 3200 & the battery life is approx Half that
of the sharp rom which only used the disk for Mp3s ??

[InSearchOf]

like altboot on OZ?  I thought UBOOT could do this?
honestly I7d like to see a partition scheme that used the nand for essentially read only system files, but I guess that would end up pretty weird in actual practice


A good idea to have the option...especially if we could set it up to use...say multiple sd cards for multiple/experimentfal setups?  would sure make testing and configuration faster and easier
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=146223\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

I dont mean to have all data on external media  (yes UBoot can do that)... just data that is written to daily... like have OS on NAND... but have /home on SD... and /local/usr would be created and have that on an SD instead of writing to the nand... this would all be changed in fstab and would look transparent to a typical user...

Late

[adf]

like altboot on OZ?  I thought UBOOT could do this?
honestly I7d like to see a partition scheme that used the nand for essentially read only system files, but I guess that would end up pretty weird in actual practice


A good idea to have the option...especially if we could set it up to use...say multiple sd cards for multiple/experimentfal setups?  would sure make testing and configuration faster and easier
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=146223\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

I dont mean to have all data on external media  (yes UBoot can do that)... just data that is written to daily... like have OS on NAND... but have /home on SD... and /local/usr would be created and have that on an SD instead of writing to the nand... this would all be changed in fstab and would look transparent to a typical user...

Late
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=146244\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

AH..that would be just the setup i was looking for on the 3100. so.. basically we are talking about a boot and then a sort of remounting of directories by scripts after running a copy script? That would be amazing

what about adding something like swapd, that made little (16m?) swapfiles as needed and removed 'em as needed?  all that wouold be changed would be the ability to specify the divice (s?) it is to use in the initial config.

if we were to do it this way, why not "pivot" into /usr and /home and /lib on the external media, leaving a bootable (ro? to be remounted specifically for maintenance and then very intentionally)  base image with basic initial versions of  those dirs on NAND?

[adf]

I thought that the idea of Using internal NAND  was to Reduce Power Consumption I am rinning OZ on my 3200 & the battery life is approx Half that
of the sharp rom which only used the disk for Mp3s ??
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=146234\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

you could put everything on sd....

[InSearchOf]

AH..that would be just the setup i was looking for on the 3100. so.. basically we are talking about a boot and then a sort of remounting of directories by scripts after running a copy script? That would be amazing

what about adding something like swapd, that made little (16m?) swapfiles as needed and removed 'em as needed?  all that wouold be changed would be the ability to specify the divice (s?) it is to use in the initial config.

if we were to do it this way, why not "pivot" into /usr and /home and /lib on the external media, leaving a bootable (ro? to be remounted specifically for maintenance and then very intentionally)  base image with basic initial versions of  those dirs on NAND?
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=146255\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

1. Yes... but it really wouldn't be copying to much... but yes...

2. Creating little swap files... that would be more work then I was thinking... I was more along the lines of "Mount Swap partition/file at boot? yes or no... :-) but it seems very do-able... but there would have to a be a daemon running alocating memory as needed... which in-turn will use more resources... but still do-able...

3. My intentions werent to really make the NAND read only... but to avoid writing to it... because syslog written there everyone boot (dmesg)... you would have to re-route that which is do-able but I dont think really worth it... basicly... you will still be allowed to copy all the data you want to the NAND.... but have the option to install applications, lets say you wanto to test, to an alternate location not on the NAND... and take up "the itty bitty" space we have avaliable...

Late

[desertrat]

Is there any chance of using union fs (or similar) to seamlessly merge different storage devices into the directory tree? That would get rid of the need to do symlinking on packages installed outside '/'.

[adf]

Is there any chance of using union fs (or similar) to seamlessly merge different storage devices into the directory tree? That would get rid of the need to do symlinking on packages installed outside '/'.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=146260\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

that would be pretty cool.

re the read only thing... thought it might extend the life of the nand, maybe?  Though that is a reason why I suggested igher level dirs, like /usr be moved.

swapd is a daemon. silvio iaccorino (?) posted it a long time ago. I used it on my shaprom installtion  on my 6000 & 5600  swappin on on my sd card. It seemed to me that daemon wasn't too demanding and the creation and uncreation of the little swapfiles did a better job with system responsiveness than a big swapfile or partition did, might have been illusory, of course...

what about the possiblilty of getting crazy with the dir locations? (maybe maximize responsiveness and minimize power consumption?)  do something like /usr and /var on SD and /home on the hd?  would specifying different devices and partions for different mount points be too much?

[InSearchOf]

Is there any chance of using union fs (or similar) to seamlessly merge different storage devices into the directory tree? That would get rid of the need to do symlinking on packages installed outside '/'.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=146260\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Like reiser fs??? hmmm that sounds like a good idea... but that would be far out of my range of knowledge when it comes to making the change in the partition structure...

sashz...
insert answer here

Edit: or anyone that knows the answer to this...

Late

[Antikx]

It probably wouldn't be a bad thing to have /var/log/messages stored on SD/CF I would think. Or would that slow your whole OS down quite a bit?

[karlto]

It probably wouldn't be a bad thing to have /var/log/messages stored on SD/CF I would think. Or would that slow your whole OS down quite a bit?
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=146270\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Can't imagine it would slow it down. I turn off syslog unless hunting down problems anyway...

Having a microdrive I install pretty well all applications there and it works fine mostly. Takes a little time to refresh the symlinks at reboot, but I don't reboot for months on end anyway.

Does anyone have any real figures on what the lifetime of the nand would be under pdaXrom? I'm thinking that in 10 years time I might have saved up enough to buy a newer one anyway...

[InSearchOf]

It probably wouldn't be a bad thing to have /var/log/messages stored on SD/CF I would think. Or would that slow your whole OS down quite a bit?
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=146270\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Good idea... and no it shouldn't slow anything down...

Late

[HoloVector]

I voted for the third option because I would want it all in flash because the slow SD access times compared to the flash on my 1000 but, I would want it on my MD for my 3200.  Yes, I like having my cake and eating it too.