On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 10:34:48AM +0100, Karel Zak wrote: > On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 02:16:02AM +0000, Rodrigo Campos wrote: > > On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 01:00:55AM +0000, Pádraig Brady wrote: > > > On 01/23/2014 09:28 PM, Rodrigo Campos wrote: > > > > I've written a small simple tool to make a file sparse without using extra disk > > > > space, it just digs holes on the file when possible. > > Nice idea. Thanks! Not really original, though :) > > > > > To dig the hole uses the > > > > Linux-specific fallocate(2) syscall with FALLOC_FL_PUNCH_HOLE. So, also, it only > > > > works on some file-systems. > > > > > > > > Do you think that util-linux would be a good place for such a simple, linux-only > > > > program ? The case I see it can be useful is to use on VM images file backed (or > > > > I wrote it with this in mind, at least :)). > > > > > > > This functionality is useful. > > > Would it be possible to just add to fallocate with --punch-hole=sparse or something? > > > > Totally, that's an option too :) > > It would be the best way for util-linux, I really don't want to add > another util for fallocate. Great! > > Maybe we can use a new option --dig-holes [ --length <size> ] or so. Sounds fine, but needs to be mutually exclusive with the options it takes now, I think. Or maybe something can be shared... Will try to come up with a patch during the weekend or next week. Thanks! > > > Also dd has the conv=sparse option, so maybe this functionality can be added there. > > IMHO would be possible to add this functionality to both places ;-) :-D Thanks a lot, Rodrigo -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe util-linux" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
