Re: Linux 2.2.18pre4

From: Paul Jakma (paulj@itg.ie)
Date: Tue Sep 12 2000 - 11:12:33 EST


On Tue, 12 Sep 2000, Alan Cox wrote:

> > ..so it should be at least as well tested as the USB backport in 2.2.18preX,
> > if not more so? Or so is implied. :)
>
> This is the big clue most people are missing
>
> 2.2.17 - USB devices do not work
> 2.2.18 - USB=n no kernel change USB devices still do not work
> USB=m USB works for most people
>
> USB cant make things any worse than now because you can compile it out.
>

I see where you are coming from, but the {"stock 2.4","2.2 patch"} NFS
code is well tested, lots of bug fixes for NFSv2 and the 'new' code ->
NFSv3 client/server is a compile yes/no option, just like the USB
backport.

2.2 without patches - NFS has performance/reliability problems
2.2 with patches - NFSv2 provided with lots of bugfixes
                                NFSv3 is compile time optional

I have not heard of anyone that prefers stock 2.2 NFS over
patched/2.4. Anecdotal evidence[1] suggests:

- stock 2.2 has 'issues' with NFS, serving in particular. Bad enough
  that linux users would consider switching to another *nix for NFS
  serving.

- 2.2 + NFS patches does not have issues (or very few), and would even
  appear to work quite well, definitely for NFSv2 and seemingly for
  the optional v3[2]. Certainly you need the patches for
  interoperability.

- all the NFS developers are working the 2.4 code and backporting to
  2.2. So issues wrt to the current 2.2 NFS codebase will not get
  fixed. Issues wrt to the 2.4 backport do get fixed.

So the anecdotal evidence suggests we don't have anything to lose but
a not very good NFS server, and everything to gain.

What are the issues with updating NFS code that do not exist with
other drivers, filesystems, etc... in 2.2 for which updates are
accepted?

what is there to lose?

--paulj

[1]. as gathered from posts to this thread, to the nfs sourceforge
lists and my experience of stock NFS as of over a year ago and the NFS
patches since then.

[2]. linux v3 works flawlessly against IRIX 6.2 + ONC3 updates, both
as client and server, for me.

-
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