It depends on which megabytes, no? A user-space "partitioned dataset" would
most probably be arranged to be convenient for the program(s) that used it;
accomplishing the same with disk blocks arranged to produce useful readahead
is problematic, especially if the files change (extended or truncated and
extended) often.
Also, if you're depending on the system-wide buffer cache for this, you're
potentially out of luck if you run multiple programs which each want
different sets of files.
BTW, the Ultrix print server we're finally retiring uses this trick for
PostScript fragments used to initialize printers, print banner pages, etc.,
only with ar archives instead of tar.
-- brandon s. allbery [os/2][linux][solaris][japh] allbery@kf8nh.apk.net system administrator [WAY too many hats] allbery@ece.cmu.edu carnegie mellon / electrical and computer engineering KF8NH We are Linux. Resistance is an indication that you missed the point.- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/