Re: itp: static bins / resolving static debian issues
Hi,
On Tue, Aug 24, 1999 at 07:56:36AM -0400, Justin Wells wrote:
>
> Finally I am not certain I agree that a disk error ONLY increases with
> the number of blocks on a given medium. If the disk error is actually
> caused by a buggy kernel, or buggy memory, then it is also likely to
> increase linearly with the number of inodes. Since a typical dynamic
> depends on 10-12 inodes, and a typical static depends on only 2
> (itself plus the directory it is in) once again the probability
> of a dynamic getting wiped out is much higher.
Mathematicians have a word for this: It's called pathological cases. If I
were you, I would be much more concerned about the user data when I have
faulty memory or a buggy kernel. If you are worried about 10 inodes vs 2,
but not about data corruption of your data files, something is very wrong.
Better shut down the machine as fast as possible, before people get annoyed
by subtle errors in their data.
All the cases you propose have a very low likelihood. If you have buggy
RAM's you better replace them, so you have to shut down the machine anyway.
The frame where it is actually useful to bugger around with static binaries
when the hardwrae is broken is so short that it is not worth to take
preparations for it.
Indeed, with every example you give I feel more confident that static
binaries are hardly needed at all in a sane environment (reliable hardware,
stable software releases, not messing around with the working system).
The cases where live recovery with static binaries seem to be useful point to
a wrong concept of system management to me (on a high reliability server, you
don't update the software when clients connect etc). There are a few servers
who need absolutely high uptime. Such a setup is so special that Debian
can't support it by default.
It seems clear to me by now that you have absolutely failed to provide sound
technical arguments for the need of static binaries by default on a
standard system.
Thanks,
Marcus
--
`Rhubarb is no Egyptian god.' Debian http://www.debian.org finger brinkmd@
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