linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 01/10] mtip32xx: Abort secure erase when drive is mounted

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Date:	Tue, 23 Feb 2016 19:14:12 -0700
From:	Jens Axboe <axboe@...nel.dk>
To:	Asai Thambi SP <asamymuthupa@...ron.com>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Sam Bradshaw <sbradshaw@...ron.com>,
	Selvan Mani <smani@...ron.com>,
	Rajesh Kumar Sambandam <rsambandam@...ron.com>,
	Vignesh Gunasekaran <vgunasekaran@...ron.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 01/10] mtip32xx: Abort secure erase when drive is mounted

On 02/23/2016 07:08 PM, Asai Thambi SP wrote:
> On 2/23/2016 8:11 AM, Jens Axboe wrote:
>> On Mon, Feb 22 2016, Asai Thambi SP wrote:
>>>
>>> To avoid erasing a device with a mounted filesystem, try to get exclusive
>>> access to the blkdev object corresponding to the device.
>>
>> I don't think this needs to be in the kernel, why not just check from
>> the official format tool if the device is mounted or not?
>>
>
> The official format tool checks if the device has a mounted filesystem before starting an erase operation. But with the driver being in kernel, some customers use hdparm to manage the device. This patch prevents possible accidental erase through open source tools.

We generally don't put that kind of policy in the kernel. I can firmware 
update a drive that is mounted, if I want to shoot myself in the foot, 
if I want to. The answer is, don't do it...


-- 
Jens Axboe