Here's a recipe if you want to reproduce this:
1)Build 2.2.2 (actually works on 2.2.1 and various -ac's as well).
I use SMP (haven't had time to test on UP yet).
I have a parallel port zip drive.
Build ppa as a module (EPP16 or 32- it makes no difference)
Build parport in or as a module
2)Make lots of different sized files
mkdir test
perl -e'for (0.3300) {$n = sprintf "test/random.%04d", $_; $s = $_ * 10; `dd if=/dev/urandom of=$n bs=1024 count=$s`;}'
3)Mount up your zip drive as normal. I use:
insmod ppa
mount /mnt/zip
NOTE: you have to use an ext2-formatted zip disk. The normal dos ones don't show this behaviour.
4)tar the files across to the zip drive
tar zcvf /mnt/zip/test.tar.gz test
5)Watch your box crash with a kernel panic: "unable to sync in
scsi_request_queueable" when the disk gets too full (about random.3200
in the aboce test). You can usually (but not always) alt-sysrq-S, but
it usually generates an oops when trying to sync the zip drive, and
you can seldom unmount and reboot cleanly.
If you use only a few big files it has no problem (it just runs out of
space). I've done some tests with copying the files instead of
tarring, and that works fine (doesn't kill the machine) If you use a
dos-formatted zip disk you dont see the problem either.
If you want to try this PLEASE SYNC YOUR DISKS FIRST.
Sean
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