Re: ext2fs enhacement/fix [re: shrinking directories]

Ted Deppner (ted@jasmine.psyber.com)
Thu, 16 Jul 1998 10:42:08 -0700


On Thu, Jul 16, 1998 at 12:33:50AM -0400, Chad C Giffin wrote:
> Although it is really not a problem for most that directory files do not
> shrink on removal of directory entries, it still is a problem for some and
> should not be ignored IMO.
>
> I'd like to propose a solution that is not too complicated.

[acceptable solution (if properly implimented) deleted]

I'd like to pose the question, Is this really necessary?

On your home machine I can't imagine more than 1mb on the average system being
wasted to this excess.

On a server, I can't imagine _wanting_ to recover space (under any scheme)
when most servers have a cyclic nature, and even if space were saved for a
period of time, there was a time (hours or days ago) when the directory NEEDED
to be that large.

And on busy servers, where you might have 20-30 mb tied up this way (a news
machine just after expires), within 12 to 24 hours they'll be full again.

In any case, I always have 100's of extra MBs of drive space laying around.
Even if I could recover 50mb for 12 hours or a week, it I wouldn't care, it's
such a minor thing.

-- 
Ted Deppner
ted@psyber.com
http://www.psyber.com

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