Messages in this thread | | | Date | Thu, 7 Mar 1996 15:48:44 +0100 | From | Uwe Bonnes <> | Subject | Re: ext2 in a dos file/partition |
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>>>>> "Theodore" == Theodore Ts'o <tytso@mit.edu> writes:
Theodore> ...
Theodore> There is such a thing; it's called the loop device. It's been Theodore> around for a long time, but it's only recently been integrated Theodore> into the main-line kernel. The newest mount comands will Theodore> automatically use the loop device to attach a file to the loop Theodore> device, and then mount a filesystem using the loop device.
Theodore> What's missing for this to be a complete replacement for Theodore> umsdos is the ability to do this all at the kernel level at Theodore> boot time, so that you can use a file on a MS-DOS partition, Theodore> mounted through the loop device, as a root device, so you can Theodore> boot a Linux system without needing need a mini Linux Theodore> partition to use as your root.
Theodore> ...
Theodore> There are some interesting configuration details, and some Theodore> changes would be required if you wanted LILO to work from Theodore> within the root loop filesystem, but the technical problems Theodore> should all be solvable.
This is exactly the target for Hans Lermens and Werner Almesbergers patch " Linux high in the sky and more", giving the new features initrd and /linuxrc, as I understand it.
Uwe Bonnes bon@elektron.ikp.physik.th-darmstadt.de
Institut fuer Kernphysik Schlossgartenstrasse 9 64289 Darmstadt --------- Tel. 06151 162516 -------- Fax. 06151 164321 ----------
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