On Fri, 20 Dec 2002, Jonathan Stone wrote:

> In message <Pine.NEB.4.33.0212201613580.11303-100000@vespasia.home-net.internet
> connect.net>Bill Studenmund writes
>
> [wedges config files]
>
> I thought you said no config files? Was this an ``as-if''
> response to David Laight's what-if?

There are two opposing proposals. They have a lot in common, but on this
point they totally differ.

diskpart doesn't have a config file, wedges does.

> >At least this way you only have things move around if you make a, "big,"
> >change to the partitions. And, you have things happen immediately after
> >you make the change, so you can adjust things as part of the change. It's
> >not something that lies around waiting to bite you later.
>
> Hm. Acutally, I can see how it might well be *exactly* that.  hat if a
> user rearranges their FooOS partition, and doesn't reboot from FooOS
> back to NetBSD for some time? Seems like we'd quite potentially kick
> off a fsck_FooOSfs in that case.  Which could lead to data loss.
> Big big ooops.

If I have any given partition in two or more OSs partitioning schemes
(showing up in Linux and NetBSD) and I move it around, I need to change
ALL OS's view of it. It doesn't matter if NetBSD is snooping on a Linux
partition, or FreeBSD is looking at a NetBSD partition. You have to keep
them coordinated.

Also, you're nay-saying quite a lot. What do you suggest we actually do?

The fundamental problem is we either have locators in the partitions, we
have a historical log, or we re-calculate what is where each boot. We
can't do the first since we have the partitioning schemes we have. wedges
does the second, and diskpart does the third.

> Is there some way we can persuade you to think beyond NetBSD being the
> only OS present, and start thinking about multi-boot environments?

Ok, now who is being insuling?

Why do you think you have an exclusive view on multi-boot environments?

Also, think about what you're suggesting. We have a fundamental problem
(see above), and we have to pick one way or another to solve it. Each
choice has complications. We can't avoid it. What would you have us do
other than pick a method and do the best we can?

Take care,

Bill