Experience Using Flash + USB For SSH Keys?

Jepri jepri at webone.com.au
Wed Dec 4 00:36:00 EST 2002


On 2002.12.03 11:01 Bob Edwards wrote:

> I don't think Ben read your message fully. The "noatime" mount option 
> is really only for ext2, ext3 and other Unix'y file system types and 
> basically turns off the "access time" updating, which is a write to 
> the device each time you read a file. The re-writing of the atime 
> field for each file read is not only going to wear out your CF card, 
> but it is also slow (writing to flash is generally slow).
> 
> If, as you have done, you stick with VFAT, then this is not a problem 
> (other things may be a problem, but not the atime stuff).

I've noticed on my (vfat) CF that the kernel buffers the entire thing.  
No writes go to the flash until I unmount.  I'm  guessing that this 
would not be true if the flash was bigger than my (physical) RAM.

Are atimes committed to disc as they happen, or can they be buffered 
too?



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