[CentOS-docs] Comments? HowTos/CentOS5ConvertToRAID

[Ed Heron]

From: "Phil Schaffner", Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:11 PM

> Ed Heron wrote:
>>   Has anybody had a chance to look at this?
>
> Moving it up on my to-do list...

  Thanks.

> When cloning the root partition need to add "H" to the rsync flags to
> preserve hard links.  Don't think /boot uses hard links, but wouldn't
> hurt to use it there also...

  I'm not sure how well it would do that, but it won't hurt to add.  I'll 
have to put in a hard link and copy across devices and see if the hard 
linked files are hard linked on the dest dev.  Thanks for catching that.  I 
don't use hard links much...

>...  An often-recommended alternative is to use tar:
>
> tar -C /mnt/boot.old -cf - . | tar -C /mnt/boot.new -xf -
> tar -C /mnt/root.old -cf - . | tar -C /mnt/root.new -xf -
>
> Probably a matter of preference.

  I think so.  I use rsync to synchronize samba shares and web sites between 
servers so I've gotten used to using it for other things.  It also looks 
more like a copy, which might be easier to understand for those less 
familiar.  I was considering adding the tar option.  How does tar handle 
hard links?

> At step 6, since everything has already been cleanly unmounted, should
> just be able to hit the power button.  Add something to the effect of
> "Remove the rescue media before rebooting."

  I've added the cleanly unmounted / power switch aspect and moved the 
'remove rescue media' to the booting back up portion of the testing step. 
Does that look better?  I debated briefly with myself over suggesting they 
could simply power it off and had discarded it as not best practice.  I'm 
reasonably happy with the compromise.  I'll have to check if install / 
rescue has a shutdown command available...

> That's all the comments I have without actually going through testing
> the procedure.  Will try that later if I get a round tuit. :-)
>
> Nice job.  Will reference it from the HowTos/SoftwareRAIDonCentOS5 page
> when it goes live.

  Thanks.  Writing documentation is always a balancing act between not 
putting enough detail in because it seems intuitive to the person who does 
it every day and putting too much in with the effect of it being too 
pedantic.

  I like that the contents becomes a checklist for repeatable processes.

  Do you have a source for round tuits?  I can only find finite sided 
ones...

> Phil