Can I use a loopback filesystem for /mydsl ?

Forum: HD Install
Topic: Can I use a loopback filesystem for /mydsl ?
started by: Ed_Nelson

Posted by Ed_Nelson on Aug. 05 2007,07:36

Hi all,

I'm a noob to DSL, but have been playing around with it for a couple of weeks now, so I'm definitely getting familiar with it. It runs very nicely on my Jurassic-era Dell laptop. FYI, here are some of the specs: 400 MHz PII cpu; 128 MB RAM; 6 GB HD with a larger FAT32 partition and 2 Linux partitions for DSL and swap. By the way, DSL is installed "frugally". The reason I still have the big FAT32 partition is cuz when I ran parted it was only able to use a small percentage of the actual 3 gigs that were free. (That problem is not the reason why I'm here, although any ideas about that would also be appreciated!)

The reason that I'm here is to inquire about the possibility and the desiribility of using a loopback filesystem for the /mydsl directory. Right now I have the /mydsl directory as a level one directory on my FAT32 (hda1) partition. It works fine. When I start up my computer, all of the extensions that I want (eg Gaim, openoffice, etc) are accessible and run great.

However, some folks told me that running Linux apps from the FAT32 partition was not a good idea (something about security and bit sets and what not that went right over my head). Is this true?

Anyway, somebody suggested I make a "loopback filesystem' in a linux format, then mount it and use that for my dsl extensions. So, I made a big file called ext2.fs and mounted it in a temporary directory . It does indeed behave like a linux filesystem. But how can I access that directory when I boot up? Can I mount it automatically, and have it work seamlessly like the /mydsl directory on FAT32 is working now? I haven't been able to figure it out.

Thanks

Ed

Posted by curaga on Aug. 05 2007,07:43

No need for that, as you aren't running linux apps from a mydsl dir.
They are there in packed form, including the bits, and are mounted/unpacked on boot.

so it's fine to have them on a fat32 partition.

What did you mean you could only use that much? Do you still want to keep Windoze there? 'cause wiping it away you could use the full space.. But anyway, did you defrag from Windoze before using parted?