I have never had any problems using mdadm's command syntax, but...
>From the man page:
SYNOPSIS
mdadm [mode] <raiddevice> [options] <component-devices>
Mode is optional. Since some options are the same or similar (-b -B, -f -F,
-c -C, -r -R, -m --mail -m --super-minor) maybe the mode should not be
optional. Over time even more options will be added, this will increase the
risk of mdadm not doing what I intended when I make a typo, or maybe
miss-understand the options. It is common for me to forget the case of an
option, when this has happened I got errors, but there is a chance it was a
valid option but not what I intended. It would suck to lose my BIG :) 200G
array due to a typo. But, this is Unix, many commands could trash the
system with a simple 1 byte typo. I use mode when I use mdadm, maybe I
never noticed it was optional, not sure.
In short...
1. To make mdadm safer to use, make mode not optional.
2. I am fine with it, as it is.
3. Neil, spend your spare time adding new feature!
Guy
-----Original Message-----
From: linux-raid-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:linux-raid-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of maarten van den Berg
Sent: Saturday, August 14, 2004 10:47 AM
To: linux-raid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: mdadm - comments on command layout
On Saturday 14 August 2004 14:33, Neil Brown wrote:
> On Friday August 13, stoffel@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > Hi Neil,
> >
> > I've been using mdadm recently to work with some arrays and I really
> > have to say I dislike how the commands are laid out and used. First
> > off, they're not consistent from one usage to another. Of course, I'm
> > going to be jerk and not give good examples since my personal box at
> > home is down and I'm at work. But the idea is that when you assemble
> > a RAID device, it should look similiar to how you manage that raid
> > device.
>
> Examples would really help. In my mind it is very regular. There is
> some room for flexibility, but generally, the usage is
>
> mdadm --mode --option... /dev/md-device [ component devices ... ]
Hi Neil,
In my mind, either the manpage is somewhat confusing, or the program is.
>From the exact syntax above I would assume that to (hot)add a device I need
to
type 'mdadm --manage -a ...'. But just 'mdadm -a ...' is enough. So is the
case for some other modes. The syntax given isn't mdadm [--mode] --option ,
so one would assume just omitting --manage would lead to an error.
This was, I mean still is, indeed confusing to me.
There is another bit. Quoting from the manpage you first have MODES, then
the
6 modi are explained, and directly thereafter comes OPTIONS, but some of
them
seem to list modes, not options:
-A, --assemble
-B, --build
-C, --create
etc.
So that leaves a big question; is it a mode, an option...?
The whole mode thing is either not clear to _me_, or it is somewhat
confusing
in general. I wouldn't really suggest that typing 'mdadm -a' instead of
'mdadm --manage -a' should lead to an error, but the concept of the modi
now
makes little sense (to me personally). But maybe I just misunderstood
things.
.
So moving the -A, -B etc. "options" to the section "modes" above, adding a
-M
--manage mode there as well might make everything clearer. (That's just
MHO.)
But anyhow, the program does what it's supposed to do, so... :-)
Respectfully,
Maarten
--
When I answered where I wanted to go today, they just hung up -- Unknown
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