A couple of other points might be worth adding:
/usr{bin,lib,etc,[and some others]} and /{bin,boot,dev?,etc,lib}
can be arranged to be read-only. This might involve a few changes
... like moving the real mtab from /etc and replacing it with a
link. And not trying to write to it (with mount) until its really
available. I think most unices have already moved utmp from /etc.
Not sure what happens if /dev/console is read-only. Not tried it!
But there are many machines about with / and possibly /usr mounted
read-only. So it's do-able.
This may improve system security (protects file-systems from corr-
uption during crashes, protects (a bit) many things from hackers or
root's typing errors!).
Also, the size of a partition has to fit within the backup medium.
So, unless you've got the latest whizzy back-up drive that stores
30Gigs, its best to avoid very large single partitions. You do all
take regular backups ... don't you!
Stuff in / and /usr is mostly unchanging for quite long periods, even
when its not read-only. (The exception is something like a like major
glibc upgrades). So a home workstation may keep most of / and /usr
all on one <half-gig partition, with a full back-up after each upgrade,
unless its already backed up on your distributor's CD.
Other areas, like user's /home, /usr/local, may change more often
need regular full backups - so they'd better be small enough to
fit onto your backup medium - or you're into using multi-tape
tarfiles.
By the way, someone mentioned a distribution that was putting stuff
into /usr/lib that was needed to boot up. This is naughty! Are you
sure? I always leave a small root (/) partion on each drive I have.
Then, if I bugger-up something, I have enough in the spare / to get
back up again. So I do check that I can boot with only a root partion
from time-to-time. There's nothing to stop you rearranging which
libraries go into /lib, and which go in /usr/lib. But there's lots
to learn when you try it. Get it wrong, and you can't boot at all!
Hint, find out where /lib/ld-wibble.so expects to find things and
check that there's some essential stuff in /sbin that doesn't even
need it.... There's always Tom's Root/Boot kit on a floppy.
Ted.
-- Ted Marston <ted@nowtsfree.freeserve.co.uk> http://www.nowtsfree.freeserve.co.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.lug.org.uk http://www.linuxportal.co.uk http://www.linuxjob.co.uk http://www.linuxshop.co.uk --------------------------------------------------------------------
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