Re: [PATCH] Use of getblk differs between locations

From: Mikulas Patocka
Date: Wed Oct 12 2005 - 15:32:19 EST


But discarding data sometimes on USB unplug is even worse than discarding data
always --- users will by experimenting learn that linux doesn't discard
write-cached data and reminds them to replug the device --- and one day,
randomly, they lose their data because of some memory management condition...

And how exactly is that worse than discarding the data every time?!?!?!?

Undeterministic behaviour is worse than deterministic. You can learn the system that behaves deterministically.

If you know that unplug damages filesystem on your USB disk, you replug it, recheck filesystem and copy the important data again --- you have 0% probability of data damage.
However, if damage on unplug happens only with 1/100 probability, will you still check filesystem and copy all recently created files on it? You forget it (or you wouldn't even know that damage might occur) and you have 1% probability of data damage.

Mikulas

Best regards,

Anton
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