cvs commit: src/sys/sys mdioctl.h src/sys/dev/md md.c src/sbin/mdconfig mdconfig.8 mdconfig.c

[Brian F. Feldman]

"Poul-Henning Kamp" <phk at phk.freebsd.dk> wrote:
> In message <200403102109.i2AL96dn073169 at green.homeunix.org>, "Brian F. Feldman"
>  writes:
> 
> >Could you please implement an errx(3) for MD_ASYNC without MD_FORCE, or 
> >something of that ilk?  Users who use anything other than mdconfig(8) for 
> >leanring how to use mdconfig(8) could quite easily run across something like:
> >	"Make sure to use -o async to get better performance."
> >and shoot themselves in the foot, whereas if they saw:
> >	"Make sure to use -o force -o async..."
> 
> mdconfig(8) is plenty dangerous as it is, obfuscating the arguments
> is not an improvement for the marginal extra protection.

Please inform me what makes mdconfig(8) dangerous when operating on a vnode.
If the only thing that can be said is "-o async may cause deadlocks," then 
this is not "marginal extra protection" against a mode of operation that 
should, except for use of this option, cause no instability.  Do you 
believe that the average hacker will think "o async, that actually sounds
dangerous... maybe I should look it up first?"

-- 
Brian Fundakowski Feldman                           \'[ FreeBSD ]''''''''''\
  <> green at FreeBSD.org                               \  The Power to Serve! \
 Opinions expressed are my own.                       \,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,\