Sid Boyce <sboyce@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
John Andersen wrote:
On Saturday 29 November 2003 14:06, Stephen W wrote:
Users of the ext2 file system can probably do without d efrag, because ext2 contains extra code to keep fragmentation reduced ---(test snipped)---
So what avout Reiserfs? Does it do defragging too?
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Sid wrote a very nice reply reminding us that defrag: "..it's like taking ski gear on an African safari" and how Linux is not M$. Sid's comments reminds me of that old joke which is sometimes attributed to Kevin Wilcox, namely: "Windows - A thirty two bit extension and gui shell to a sixteen bit patch to an eight bit operating system originally coded for a four bit microprocessor and sold by a two bit company that can't stand one bit of competition." Whereas, when I started many years ago running fortran and cobol programs on IBM 360, and "Unix" was still being developed at AT&T, I was very concerned about "how long" my program ran because I was charged by the second. (and I had a limited budget). I would arrange data so program would go as fast as possible. When we were doing work on the Soil Data Bank in the '70's for Alyeska we had the some of the same worries, and would have programs which presorted the data, etc.to cut down run times. However, "Defragging" of the disk or tape was notnever anissue, and to my small mind it has to do with how Unix / Linux uses it "swap space" and how it "delays writing to tape / disk, and thus how it runs the data in and out of memory and in and out of backup medium. That's why Linux has "sync". I am sure M$ has a similar command, however, i don't remember what it is... And I am sure people who understand files system better than I do are LOL at my simplistic reasoning. Gar -- "The best way to get information on Usenet is not to ask a question, but to post the wrong information." - Aahz' Law -- __________________________________________________________________ McAfee VirusScan Online from the Netscape Network. Comprehensive protection for your entire computer. Get your free trial today! http://channels.netscape.com/ns/computing/mcafee/index.jsp?promo=393397 Get AOL Instant Messenger 5.1 free of charge. Download Now! http://aim.aol.com/aimnew/Aim/register.adp?promo=380455