linux-kernel - Re: Linux 2.6.29

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Message-ID: <20090327183214.2e73b6a3@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
Date:	Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:32:14 +0000
From:	Alan Cox <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To:	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
Cc:	Matthew Garrett <mjg59@...f.ucam.org>,
	Theodore Tso <tytso@....edu>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	David Rees <drees76@...il.com>, Jesper Krogh <jesper@...gh.cc>,
	Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: Linux 2.6.29

> more common either. If you have a desktop app that uses fsync(), that 
> application is DEAD IN THE WATER if people are doing anything else on the 
> machine. Those multi-second pauses aren't going to make people happy.

We added threading about ten years ago.

> So the fact is, "people should always use fsync" simply isn't a realistic 
> expectation, nor is it historically accurate. 

Far too many people don't - and it is unfortunate but people should learn
to write quality software.
> 
> Alternatives should be looked at. For desktop apps, the best alternatives 
> are likely simply stronger default consistency guarantees. Exactly the 
> "we don't guarantee that your data hits the disk, but we do guarantee that 
> if you renamed on top of another file, you'll not have lost _both_ 
> contents".

Rename is a really nasty case and the standards don't help at all here so
I agree entirely. There *isn't* a way to write a correct portable
application that achieves that guarantee without the kernel making it for
you.
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