My original question:
-----> cut here <-----
I'm running Tru64 v5.0A, but I am about to upgrade to v5.1 (tomorrow).
Currently /tmp is a symbolic link that points to
/cluster/members/{memb}/tmp
My system is not part of a cluster nor is it likely to be part of a
cluster any time in the near future. Apparently v5.0A sets up /tmp this
way by default. This was the result of a "normal" installation.
Right now the directory above is in my root_domain (I'm running AdvFS for
all file systems). There isn't a lot of space in my root_domain; currently
there is only about 160 MBytes free there. I'd like to point the /tmp
symbolic link to /var/tmp (which I notice is also a symbolic link to
/var/cluster/members/{memb}/tmp
I have lots of free space on my var_domain and this seems like an
appropriate place to put the system /tmp directory. Are there any (bad)
implications of doing this that I should know about? Will mixing files
from /tmp with /var/tmp cause any applications to do odd things?
How important is it to me that /tmp be located in a cluster member
specific directory? Another approach would be for me to create a new
fileset in the var_domain and then mount that file set right on a /tmp
directory. This would keep /tmp and /var/tmp distinct but it would
disassociate /tmp from the cluster member information. Is that important?
-----> cut here <-----
Thanks to
Edward J. Branley <ed_at_softadv.com>
"Dr. Thomas.Blinn_at_Compaq.com" <tpb_at_doctor.zk3.dec.com>
"Clegg, Larry" <Larry_Clegg_at_intuit.com>
Stephen Dowdy <dowdy_at_cs.colorado.edu>
As is often the case, Tom Blinn's answer sums things up quite nicely. I
quote him here:
-----> begin quote <-----
/tmp MUST be a directory in the root file system. If it's not, there are
things that will break. Some of them are subtle, and you'll have a hard
time diagnosing what's broken and why.
As the system transitions from single user mode to multi-user mode, it's
OK to mount a different file system on /tmp, but whether you think
you'll be having your system be in a cluster in the future or not, the
right way is to have the "extra space" /tmp be mounted behind a CDSL (as
it is in your current setup).
I recommend you create a "tmp" fileset in your "usr_domain" or if you've
made it separate, your "var_domain" and mount that fileset onto the /tmp
that already exists (add it to your /etc/fstab just like the other
listed AdvFS file systems); that way, it will mount on the existing
directory as the system transitions from single user to multi user mode
(when all of the local file systems are mounted by the bcheckrc script),
it will be in place during your update, and so on. Doing it this way
will work, and it will be transparent to other things, and we won't
break it behind your back later on.
-----> end quote <-----
Stephen Dowdy points out that historically files in /tmp were prone to
being cleaned out during each reboot and that files in /var/tmp were
likely to be left alone after a reboot. Thus the two different areas
have had different semantics in the past and mixing them is probably not
a great idea. Stephen did agree, however, that many systems today tend
to link /tmp to /var/tmp so the significance of the two areas is not
what it once was.
I will follow Tom Blinn's suggestion on my system. It seems to make
sense.
Peter
Received on Mon Apr 30 2001 - 17:50:36 NZST