[Grml] Re: RFC: handling of external usb devices

[Michael Prokop]

* Mark <27e3kk302 at sneakemail.com> [20060908 07:15]:
> > It fails as soon as multiple devices have the same fs-label.

> Not as bad as /dev/XYZ breakage.  One can always construct failure
> scenarios.  In all my years I have not once encountered a duplicate fs
> label on any OS.  It doesn't happen.  Duplicate files happen all the
> time, not duplicate volume names.

For example I have several devices with label GRMLCFG, so your "It
doesn't happen." definitely isn't true. You can't take your own
setup as a base for several thousand grml-users. :)

> The problem is not bad anyway.  Designing a graceful error handler is
> easy.  Pick one duplicate and leave the other unmounted.  Or do what
> Linux does for files, append ".N" to the mount point name, where N is an
> incrementing number.

"Pick one duplicate and leave the other unmounted." Whatever you
want to tell me, I don't get it. :) Duplicate labels will suck, and
grml's rebuildfstab does not mount the devices at all.

> > People don't read the docs (ask my mailbox). I want to avoid the use
> > of bootoptions as far as possible.

> I have never seen this thought expressed by grml anywhere.  If you have
> a link or grml-tip or other command, I will read the docs.  The
> important thing is not the handling mechanism, but this main point: OS
> brittleness "sucks" a lot more than syntax.

Sure, but when designing new implementation you have to take care of
users which are used to "Linux' default".

> > Yes, but UUIDs are long and IMO they suck a little bit on
> > non-server-systems.

> "They suck" is not a technical argument.  Mules and camels are uglier
> than horses.  They also do far more work much more reliably.  UUIDs are
> reliable.

Hehe. 8-)

When reading UUID=<insert_long_nummer_here> in fstab you very
probably won't know what kind of device it is. That's what I don't
like.

> > All symlinks will be deleted automatically as soon as the
> > devices aren't present anymore. Nothing to care about.

> OK; just think it through carefully with a USB-boot device that moves
> from PC to PC to PC.  The BIOS can change hard drive ordering, etc.  At
> next boot, all /dev entries will be wrong, so grml has to reconfigure
> them gracefully.

That's why udev exists and is used for. :)

regards,
-mika-
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