[TriLUG] raw disk images

[rpjday]

On Thu, 20 Dec 2001, Mike McLean wrote:

> > I don't think there's currently a big impetus to write tools that operate
> > without the kernel, because the tool would require a full implementation
> > of filesystem-manipulation code.  Since the kernel already supports
> > umpteen filesystems with well-maintained code, it makes much more sense to
> > harness this throught the loopback driver, instead of re-inventing the
> > wheel.  But I agree it would be nice if mtools would support images too.
> 
> Sure the loopback device is great -- if you're the superuser. Plus there
> are only 8 loopback devices available (at least with my kernel).

i can't help with user-mountable loopback devices, but you can have
up to 255 of these using a boot-time kernel parameter.  see
/usr/src/linux/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt, tne value for
"max_loop".

rday

-- 
Robert P. J. Day
Eno River Technologies, Chapel Hill NC
Unix, Linux and Open Source corporate training