Bug 189512

Summary:	propose optionnal installation of tmpwatch
Product:	[OLD] Docs on www.gentoo.org	Reporter:	Jerome <jerome.bouat>
Component:	Installation Handbook	Assignee:	Docs Team <docs-team>
Status:	RESOLVED WONTFIX
Severity:	normal
Priority:	High
Version:	unspecified
Hardware:	All
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Package list:		Runtime testing required:	---

Description Jerome 2007-08-19 19:04:48 UTC

Hello,

The hard disk of my laptop has no more space
and it is highly fragmented (~6%).

Could you please propose to optionnaly install "tmpwatch"
it in the following section of the handbook:
Installing Gentoo/
  9. Installing Necessary System Tools

Thanks.

Reproducible: Always

Comment 1 nm (RETIRED) gentoo-dev

2007-08-19 19:52:25 UTC

Thanks for the suggestion, but this chapter is about installing only what's absolutely critical for boot and getting online -- filesystem and networking tools and a system logger.

These are actually what's provided on any GRP/installer LiveCD media too, thus another reason for mentioning only what's available on media.

I don't think we should add anything on this package; it just doesn't fit within the scope of the chapters. It's not essential, nor is it even keyworded for all our architectures that use this handbook page.

Comment 2 Jerome 2007-08-19 20:02:53 UTC

Ok, then maybe in FAQ as
"How to save disk space" ?

Comment 3 nm (RETIRED) gentoo-dev

2007-08-19 20:27:50 UTC

(In reply to comment #2)
> Ok, then maybe in FAQ as
> "How to save disk space" ?

Probably not. Using tmpwatch is still bad for performance, as it doesn't play well with noatime filesystem options; it forces you to turn on atime -- and atime really kills performance, which is why it's usually off by default.

tmpwatch is not a way to save diskspace in and of itself. especially not when it forces the user to activate even less desirable options.

Comment 4 Jan Kundrát (RETIRED) gentoo-dev

2007-09-11 13:57:41 UTC

(In reply to comment #3)
> Probably not. Using tmpwatch is still bad for performance, as it doesn't play
> well with noatime filesystem options; it forces you to turn on atime -- and
> atime really kills performance, which is why it's usually off by default.

For an interesting talk about noatime, see [1]. And tmpwatch can be used with the --mtime option.

[1] http://kerneltrap.org/node/14148