-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Sun, 31 Jul 2011 04:40:33 +0300 Samuli Suominen <ssuomi...@gentoo.org> wrote:
> >> Can we discuss both options? > > If there's any option that allows the use of a separate /usr > > partition without an initramfs, then let's explore it. I don't feel > > like having to use an initramfs just because I want a small / > > without /usr on it. > > The message is really missing all the context without explanation for > WHY you want it. (As an interested non-developer) My own rationale is as follows: 1. I do regular backups of /home. I would prefer to have them run in the background while I continue using the system, so the filesystem won't be idle. For consistency, that means I want /home in LVM, so I can create a snapshot and back that up instead—it will be at least as consistent as an instantaneous power failure would be, which things tend to be pretty good at recovering from (both the filesystem and anything above it that uses a journal of some sort, like sqlite). 2. /home is big. /usr is big. When I first install a system, it's not clear exactly how big each one will be. It's really nice to be able to share space between them without any manual intervention, which is what happens if you put both on the same filesystem. Thus, if /home is in LVM, then /usr must also be in LVM, on the same LV. 3. Booting with / on LVM requires an initramfs. It's much easier to not use an initramfs than to use one. So I keep / outside LVM as a small ordinary partition, typically ~250MB (no need for a separate /boot partition in this case). That said, I hadn't ever actually noticed that putting /usr on a separate filesystem was broken in the first place. It's served me well enough. I'd just like it if it would continue to do so. If I have no choice I suppose I will have to switch to using an initramfs, but I prefer not having to poke the early boot sequences of machines it's a PITA to get physical access to that have been working fine for years. Chris -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2.0.17 (GNU/Linux) iEYEARECAAYFAk41E38ACgkQXUF6hOTGP7emFACfYeoq2vSxk8B1I+URk5ohGbvJ soYAoJZ1p2cm4IjoEFvdfzkQNlxERCv1 =yZkv -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
