Re: True ACID under linux (no fsync)? - Mailing list pgsql-general

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Subject Re: True ACID under linux (no fsync)?
Date
Msg-id Pine.LNX.4.30.0010311515040.2738-100000@chapelperilous.net
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: True ACID under linux (no fsync)?  (shawn everett <everett@pgweb.com>)
Responses Re: True ACID under linux (no fsync)?  (Alfred Perlstein <bright@wintelcom.net>)
List pgsql-general
"Gary Howland (During daytime)" wrote:

> Just a quickie - I heard that linux does not have a working fsync()
> call (it has no concept of raw devices).  In other words, fsync cannot
> be used to ensure that data is on disk (try it with a floppy - it
> returns IMMEDIATELY!!! - long before the write finishes)

That's because the mounted drive is buffered in memory, so when you copy a
file, you are copying it to memory (which is very fast), and the kernel
implicitly syncs with the media when the buffer fills or when an explicit
sync is done or when it is unmounted.

If there is no working fsync (and fdatasync), why do the Linux man pages
claim it to be POSIX.1b compliant?

Can you back up your claim with actual documentation?  Saying 'I heard'
puts it in the realm of urban legendry...

Brett W. McCoy
                                              http://www.chapelperilous.net
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This is the ____LAST time I take travel suggestions from Ray Bradbury!


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