Gentoo Archives: gentoo-user

From: James <wireless@×××××××××××.com>
To: gentoo-user@l.g.o
Subject: [gentoo-user] Re: How to find out to what file(...) writes goes on a idle system...
Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 17:12:16
Message-Id: loom.20141206T180018-703@post.gmane.org
In Reply to: [gentoo-user] How to find out to what file(...) writes goes on a idle system... by meino.cramer@gmx.de
1 <meino.cramer <at> gmx.de> writes:
2
3
4 > on different systems I see the write stats (/proc/dikstats) to
5 > physical existing disks steadily increasing.
6 > Looking at the output of lsof I cannot find any file suspicous
7 > for receiving those writes.
8
9 Ok so in my experiences you need a (2) pronged approach.
10
11 (1) Then pursue quantifying with tools just what is causing the
12 writes, strategies for minimization and monitoring as needed.
13
14 So folks are going down path (1) with you, that is fine.
15
16 (2) First minimize those write to your non-mechanical memory.
17
18 Path (2)
19 on any and all minimized gentoo or embedded gentoo systems,
20 I start out with USE="-*" to keep things minimum. Yea that tweaks the
21 devs now, but minimal system are just that, minimized, imho, so that
22 is a firm standard I always operation on. Set the minimum
23 number of global flags and the thinest profile that will work for
24 your system. Every flag invokes more code and hence more processes,
25 more files, more writing to media.
26
27 Also, all log files should be written off the embeded system via
28 NFS or other similar mechanisms.
29
30 If you want further help, put up a document where folks can spend
31 $20 and get a similar board up and running embedded gentoo. Then
32 they can see exactly what you see have and you can work as a team, or not,
33 your call.
34
35 I have dozens of tricks to minimize a gentoo system. But it is quite
36 a bit of work, just so you know. It's not a do this and it great. It
37 more like, try this, study the result and then alter the strategy.
38
39 hth,
40 James

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