Re: [RFC 0/13] extents and 48bit ext3

[Jeff Garzik]

Matthew Wilcox wrote:
> On Fri, Jun 09, 2006 at 11:40:03AM -0400, Jeff Garzik wrote:
> > Users are now forced to remember that, if they write to their filesystem 
> > after using either $mmver or $korgver kernels, they are locked out of 
> > using older kernels.
> >
> > From the user's perspective, ext3 has no clear "metadata version 1", 
> > "metadata version 2" division.  Thus they are now forced to keep a 
> > matrix of kernel versions and ext3 feature flag support, to know which 
> > kernels are usable with which data.  It is a support nightmare.
>
> Hang on, you're going too far.  You have to enable extents with the
> extent mount option.  Otherwise you don't get to use them.  The user
> does, in fact, have a clear division, although maybe the blinky signs
> aren't quite luminous enough.

...and how are distros going to deploy this?  They are going to turn on 
extents by default.

And do we honestly think that is a scalable option _anyway_?  That will 
slowly bloat fstab and mount command lines with an ever-increasing list 
of options.

It's IMO better experience for the user, and gives the developers more 
freedom.Look, I _really_ want extents.  I am a big fan.  But I think 
that extents are good time to make a clean break, and let ext3 live as 
it is.  And it will let ext3 stabilize.

	Jeff



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