Re: [gentoo-user] {OT} Anyone tried a solid state drive?

[Stroller]

On 27 Nov 2008, at 02:08, Volker Armin Hemmann wrote:
> On Donnerstag 27 November 2008, Grant wrote:
>> I'm considering buying a solid-state drive to improve I/O performance
>> and even reduce noise.  Has anyone tried this?  I was considering
>> getting the lowest capacity I can find and putting most of the system
>> on it.  There is a roundup on tomshardware.com and it sounds like
>> some
>> are very much better than others.  SLC sounds vastly superior
>> compared
>> to MLC, but also much more expensive.
>>
>
> http://valhenson.livejournal.com/25228.html
>
> I would rethink that after reading that post.

 From TFA:

    Postscript: Yes, this analysis is based on anecdotal evidence and
    personal experience, but I can't afford the time to do real research
    unless someone pays me to. If you know someone who will, send me
    email!

I've read a number of other reports, also based on anecdotal evidence  
and personal experience, from a number of people who have very happily  
been using flash as root volumes for years. Their opinions disagree  
with TFA.

Typically the reports I've read have been from people using CFcards -  
4gig is now unbelievably cheap, and CFcards talk EIDE with only a  
small, cheap physical adaptor - on MythTV frontends & low-overhead  
servers. CFcards look ideal for these purposes because they're quiet -  
you want to minimise noise when playing back video in the living room,  
for instance.

I think the last anecdote I read on this subject was written by Trubox  
(Truebox?) on the Openmoko-community list a month or two ago. They  
sell Aserisk systems to small business (in my area, as it happens) and  
I would imagine that typically the system sits in the corner of an  
office and is untouched for years at a time. I would imagine that have  
plenty of installed systems throughout the UK (otherwise they'd be  
going hungry). They report a very low failure rate, as did someone  
else on the MythTV-users list who also bases a commercial offering on  
flash-based hardware.

Whilst I would probably, myself, install a second flash drive myself &  
back-up (to a stage 4?) periodically, and avoid disk-writes when  
logging, I get the strong impression that there's little to be scared  
of using flash memory.

Everything I read that says flash - and particularly its wear- 
levelling - is unsuitable for this purpose makes sense to me, but it  
doesn't jibe with the real-world experiences of those who ARE using  
flash VERY happily.

I've yet to see empirical evidence on the longevity of flash for this  
purpose, but I'd advise anyone considering it - anyone thinking flash  
unsuitable - to search the mailing lists I've mentioned. The Trubox  
post should be easy to find, and the subject comes up on MythTV-users  
every few months.

Stroller.