Linux-kernel mailing list archive 1999-25,: Re: why is the size of a directory always 1024b ?

# Re: why is the size of a directory always 1024b ?

Khimenko Victor (khim@sch57.msk.ru)
Thu, 24 Jun 1999 05:33:08 +0400 (MSD)

- Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
- Next message: Alexander Viro: "Re: FENRIS & 2.0/2.2 problems"
- Previous message: Jeff Garzik: "Re: [PATCH] *(int*)0 = 0 & variations"

On Wed, 23 Jun 1999, MURALI N wrote:

> :
> :I can also report that on my 4k block systems, I never see directories
> :smaller than 4k in size, but that's (A) expected, and (B) desired.
> :
> :I can understand the viewpoint that says the "size" of a directory is
> :simply a count of the number of valid entries therein, but I don't
> :agree with it.
>
> and why not? it seems meaningless to see a directory size reported as
> 1024 while the actual size may be far below.

In this case -- not. But when I see directory of size 115714 bytes (I had
directory of size > 1M with just few files once :-) in inn spool with just
few tens of files in it I know that it's time to recreate this directory.

BTW what's "actual size" ? If you'll create 10'000 files in directory and
then remove them directory will STILL hold 10'000 slots ! What's its size:
2 (for "." and "..") or 10'002 (for all slots on disk) ? And what about
HPFS and NTFS where andditional space is needed for b-trees and/or file
contents (yes, NTFS keep DATA of small files in directory blocks on disk) ?

Can you define what's "actual size" for all filesystems out there ?

> only the filesystem algorithms can make sense out of it.

Not at all (see above).

> why, then it would make sense to see all regular files with sizes multiples
> of blocksize.

There are exists quite a few operations with file where "size" is sort of
boundary (seek, for example). But I'm not know disk operations where size
of directory (in any sense) is sort of boundary.

> can you please explain why you desire it that way.

What for you'll use directory size (in your definition) ? And WHAT'S you
definition BTW ?

-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/

- Next message: Alexander Viro: "Re: FENRIS & 2.0/2.2 problems"
- Previous message: Jeff Garzik: "Re: [PATCH] *(int*)0 = 0 & variations"