RFC: Article on implementing UFS journaling on desktop PCs

[Manolis Kiagias]

Unga wrote:
> --- Manolis Kiagias <sonicy at otenet.gr> wrote:
>
>   
>> I have just completed an article (mostly how-to) for
>> implementing UFS 
>> journaling on a typical desktop PC:
>>
>>
>>     
> http://store.itsyourftp.com/~sonic2000gr/freebsd/gjournal-desktop/article.html
>   
>> It focuses on detailing an easy to follow,
>> repeatable procedure, to 
>> install FreeBSD on a typical PC and enable
>> journaling on /usr and 
>> possibly /var.
>> I am using this same procedure on my systems.
>>
>> I welcome all feedback, please send me any comments,
>> suggestions and 
>> corrections.
>>
>>     
>
> Hope following ideas may help you.
>
> 1. Article is too long. You have a note before the
> introduction, then "introduction" and "Understanding
> journaling in FreeBSD". I appreciate brevity. The
> "introduction" and "Understanding journaling in
> FreeBSD" would be suffice. and edit them for brevity.
>
>   
The note before the introduction is the abstract, and seems to be a 
standard feature in articles. You are right though, some parts should be 
shortened, information is repeated.
> The note before the introduction is good enough as an
> introduction,
>
> 2. Ideally have a table of contents.
>   
Table of contents will be produced by the build system when the article 
is split into several pages (FORMATS=html-split), for my test I compiled 
it with FORMATS=html
> 3. Ideally prerequisites as a separate section.
>
> 4. A new section on "How to estimate journal size"
>   
I would really like to have a method on estimating size, however I don't 
have enough test cases. This will have to wait for the next revision.
> 5. Split "Setting up journaling" to sub sections:
> 	- Data and journal in the same partition
> 	- Data and journal in the multiple partitions/disks
>
>   
Already working on this ;)
> 6. A new section on how to extend the size of the
> journal (if later find too small)
>
>   
Would this be possible at all? It would mean you have more available 
free disk space. In that case you would simply remove the old journal 
and use the new one. I will mention this
> 7. Further reading:
> 	- Journaling UFS with gjournal -
> http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-current/2006-June/064043.html
>
> 	- Journaling file system -
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journaling_file_system
>
> 	- UFS2 Journaling implementation detail -
> http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2008-April/173501.html
>
> 	- FreeBSD/ZFS - Last word in operating/file systems 
> -
> http://2007.eurobsdcon.org/presentations/Pawel_Jakub_Dawidek/eurobsdcon07_zfs.pdf
>
> Kind Regards
> Unga
>   
Thanks. I will add your links to a "Further reading" section.

P.S. Just realized I've sent this answer to your email only and not on 
the list. Apologies. Also note my comment on table of contents is 
probably incorrect. But I will probably add reference links between 
sections.