This matter is about kernel VFS, and syscall parameter size
limitation problems.
Right now references to file offsets of over 2 GB in size are
possible only at 64-bit systems due to the use of "long" type
variable within the VFS layer.
Using "long long" hasn't been considered viable alternative,
due to performance penalties of related arithmetic code in i*86.
The maximum filesize at EXT2 (at the moment) is 4GB, and that
is available at Alpha systems, not at i*86 architecture.
We have known ways to add 16 bits to the length in the i-node,
so that is not end of road for the filesystem (but wait for
2.3 ..)
Filesystem maximum sizes have been in terabyte range for quite
a while in all platforms.
Some syscalls need to have new versions of them with large
offset (64-bit) fields. That waits for 2.3.
> Steve
/Matti Aarnio <matti.aarnio@sonera.fi>
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