linux-ext4 - RFC: guard against more "dangerous" userspace options

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Message-ID: <4A81D7EC.2060706@redhat.com>
Date:	Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:43:24 -0500
From:	Eric Sandeen <sandeen@...hat.com>
To:	ext4 development <linux-ext4@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: RFC: guard against more "dangerous" userspace options

I'll keep it short and sweet:

Can we add a consistent "--eatmydata" type of hurdle to jump over before
people are allowed to use either the so-far-less-tested tools and/or
options therein?

I'm thinking of, so far:

e4defrag
mkfs.ext4 -O meta_bg (?)
mkfs.ext4 -E lazy_itable_init=1
tune2fs -I <bigger>

without the --eatmydata option (feel free to edit for clarity) we could
get something like:

"The ____ option is experimental and/or incomplete, and should be used
only for testing at this point.  Please re-issue your command with
'--eatmydata' option to use this option."

Thoughts?

I'm nervous about ext4 coming into wider use and people finding some of
the bits which aren't -quite- ready for prime time yet, and winding up
with a disaster.

Thanks,

-Eric
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