Re: package/sharing improvement proposal

"D. J. Bernstein" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Laurent G. Bercot writes:
>> It would be nice to have a way of indicating whether a "host"-shared
>> directory can be mounted read-only or must allow write access.
>
> What exactly do you mean by ``read-only''? Why is it a useful concept?
> Is /etc/resolv.conf ``read-only''? What problem is being solved here?

AIUI, this would be documentation of the fact that a certain directory
is (or is not) used in a spool-like way; i.e., the package writes to
that directory as part of its normal operation.  Directories used in
this way must be on read-write filesystems while the package is in
use; other directories can be on read-only filesystems, to protect
against filesystem corruption in case of a crash.

Of course, the admin may want to modify those files, and will have to
remount the filesystem read-write to do that, if it is normally
mounted read-only.  The admin may also want some of the package's
files to be modified as part of the normal operation of another
package, such as a DHCP client.  So the package's own package/sharing
won't always dictate the admin's choice of mounting options, but it's
useful information when making that choice.


paul