Messages in this thread |  | | Date | Tue, 10 Sep 1996 08:31:30 -0700 (PDT) | From | David Flood <> | Subject | Re: NFS as a module / kerneld question |
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On Tue, 10 Sep 1996, Alan Cox wrote:
> > Since nfs.o forks 4 useless processes when loaded (nfsiod), it will never > > be auto-removed. Mounting doesn't use any of those processes, a new one > > is started so the use count is never lower than 4. I have figured out > > a 'post-install' command for kerneld that kills these useless processes > > and allows auto-unload. What kind of fate am I tempting using this > > command? > > You'll totally break and ruin your NFS apart from that its fine. The 4 > processes are not useless. Kill them as a pre-removal thing if you need to
pre-removal doesn't work since the use count has to be 0 for kerneld to trigger pre-removal commands and then remove the module. And if these processes are needed, how come they just go to sleep and never wake up? And when another mount command is executed, a new one is forked to handle the new mount rather than using one of the existing processes? I can see nfs.o forking one process since it gets loaded due to a mount command and that one nfsiod is necessary to handle that mount. But what about the other 3? And when every nfs mount is unmounted, the original 4 don't terminate. They just hang around. As a result the use count of nfs.o is always some number that is equal or greater than 4.
As pointed out in a private response from another reader, 'is memory that tight?'. Well it isn't on most of my machines but I don't like stuff hanging around when it isn't needed. That is the main reason that I started using modules and kerneld.
Also, I blanketed the original message to 3 mailing lists. Whis one is the correct one (or are all 3 incorrect) so that this discussion can just be posted to that list?
============================================================================= dcflood@u.washington.edu
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