[9fans] Plan9 topology

[erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net>]

> > The Fossil partition being the partition where Plan9 will be running.
> > Venti should then be on another partition?
> >
> Yes.

i don't think that this conveys the right meaning.  plan 9 is compatable with
fdisk-style partitions, but typically subpartitions them with prep-style partitions.
so, you need only one fdisk partition, which can be repartitioned with prep.
clear?

cf.	http://www.quanstro.net/magic/man2html/8/prep
	http://www.quanstro.net/magic/man2html/8/venti-fmt

> > > I wouldn't try it with less than a 20 GB disk, with say 2 GB for
> > > Fossil and the rest for Venti; unless you start storing music and
> > > video on there, that should give you plenty of room to work with.
> >
> > Ok! Can Venti be managed? As in, every so often, purge what isn't
> > needed?
> No.

the original observation (from /sys/doc/9.ps; sorry no web reference handy)
applying to the original fs, not venti.

	     Once a file is written to WORM, it cannot  be  removed,
	so  our  users never see ``please clean up your files'' mes-
	sages and there is no  df command.  We regard the WORM juke-
	box as an unlimited resource.  The only issue is how long it
	will take to fill.  Our WORM has served a community of about
	50  users  for five years and has absorbed daily dumps, con-
	suming a total of 65% of the storage  in  the  jukebox.   In
	that  time,  the  manufacturer  has improved the technology,
	doubling the capacity of the individual disks.  If  we  were
	to  upgrade  to the new media, we would have more free space
	than in the original empty jukebox.  Technology has  created
	storage faster than we can use it.

i don't use venti, i use the original file server, but this still holds
true of any worm system.  in the 6 years i've had my worm, i've used
12gb.  yet the size of my worm went from 18gb to 1500gb.

- erik