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From: jcm@mtunb.ATT.COM (John McMillan)
Newsgroups: unix-pc.general
Subject: Re: second disk partitions on UNIXPC
Summary: Reconsider?
Message-ID: <1712@mtunb.ATT.COM>
Date: 4 Dec 89 22:18:13 GMT
References: <1989Dec3.062538.9719@rducky.uucp>
Reply-To: jcm@mtunb.UUCP (John McMillan)
Organization: AT&T ISL Middletown NJ USA
Lines: 29

In article <1989Dec3.062538.9719@rducky.uucp> jrp@rducky.uucp (JIM PICKERING) writes:
>
>I started playing with the partition sizes on my second hard disk
>this weekend.  I wanted to decrease the 'swap' partition (partition 1)
>in order to increase partition 2.  I use partition 1 as /tmp and
>partition 2 as /usr/spool.  When formatting the disk, the default
>is 4000-5000 logical blocks (4-5 meg.).  My second disk is only 30 meg.
>so I would like to have as big as /usr/spool as possible (news really
>eats disk space).  What is a safe size for /tmp?  Or what programs use
>/tmp for a scratch area?

1) Putting /tmp on a mounted file-system invites trouble.
	Some Install scripts presume the work area -- under /tmp --
	is on the same file-system as the target areas (/bin, /usr/bin,
	/lib, /usr/lib, etc...).  This is fact -- I don't and never did
	advocate it.  Their use of 'ln' instead of 'mv' means they will
	fail if you run this from a mounted /tmp.

2) Putting /usr/spool on a mounted file-system invites trouble.
	If I recall correctly, some of that wonderful LP code
	presumes they can 'ln' the files from wherever to the
	spool area.  I haven't experienced this, but was told
	so long ago in a distant galaxy.

30 MB!  I'd recommend just using it as a spare /u2 [user file] area.
I have NOT heard any warnings about mounting /usr/tmp -- if enough
of your programs use this it might be worth it.

john mcmillan -- att!mtunb!jcm