Devel Digest, Vol 34, Issue 86

[pgf at laptop.org]

mitch wrote:
 > dsd at laptop.org wrote:
 > > On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 8:08 PM,  <pgf at laptop.org> wrote:
 > >   
 > >> ssh host keys are probably generated on first boot as well.
 > >>
 > >> with partitioning support, it should be possible to have a r.o. root
 > >> overlaid by a unionfs writeable mount, so machine-specific changes
 > >> don't modify the released partition.  this would make cloning quite a
 > >> bit easier, i'd think.  i have no idea what the performance hit of
 > >> a unionfs setup would be, nor how such a partitioning would fit
 > >> into the rest of the update strategy (e.g.  olpc-update).
 > >>     
 > >
 > > unionfs isn't upstream and was quite unreliable last time I use it.
 > >   
 > Puppy Linux has used unionfs for some time, apparently with good results.
 > 
 > > And it adds the challenge of differentiating state that must be
 > > discarded for the cloned image, and state that must not be.
 > >   
 > 
 > Uh, is it really unionfs that adds that challenge?  I would think that 
 > the need to differentiate between wanted and unwanted state is a 
 > fundamental requirement of the cloning approach, regardless of whether 
 > or not unionfs is part of the implementation strategy.

right.  the process of preparing an image which is suitable for
distribution will always be more complex than simply booting,
configuring, and shutting down.  it might involve mounting an
external copy of the image and modifying it without running it,
for instance.

but once the image has initially been made suitable for cloning,
using something like unionfs would allow that image to _remain_
suitable for cloning -- clonable from any laptop on which it's
installed.

paul
=---------------------
 paul fox, pgf at laptop.org
 give one laptop, get one laptop --- http://www.laptop.com/xo