OK, problem solved. Using a 7.5GB ( < 8GB ) root partition
and my custom layout, as well as on-disk /var and /tmp, I no
longer run into this bug. This seems to confirm that it
was due to a too large root partition that corrupts the
bootloader's heap memory ? As suggested elsewhere.
Here is my current, working partition scheme :
# disklabel -p M wd0
# /dev/rwd0c:
type: ESDI
disk: ESDI/IDE disk
label: Samsung SSD 870
duid: 4b245bbda66d568c
flags:
bytes/sector: 512
sectors/track: 63
tracks/cylinder: 16
sectors/cylinder: 1008
cylinders: 969021
total sectors: 976773168 # total bytes: 476940.0M
boundstart: 532544
boundend: 976773135
16 partitions:
# size offset fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a: 7680.0M 532544 4.2BSD 2048 16384 12960 # /
c: 476940.0M 0 unused
d: 4096.0M 16261184 4.2BSD 2048 16384 12960 # /tmp
e: 20191.0M 24649760 4.2BSD 2048 16384 12960 # /var
f: 30720.0M 66000832 4.2BSD 2048 16384 12960 # /usr
g: 237568.3M 170858432 4.2BSD 4096 32768 26062 #
/var/www
h: 61440.0M 657398400 4.2BSD 2048 16384 12960 #
/usr/local
i: 260.0M 64 MSDOS
l: 94504.7M 783227520 4.2BSD 2048 16384 12960 #
/home
On 2026-08-12 18:19, Sylvain Saboua wrote:
On 2026-08-12 17:30, Brian Conway wrote:
One thing that might be causing disturbances is that I want
to put /var and /tmp on MFS, because it is said that constant
effort put on an SSD disk might corrupt it faster. This is
actually a question in its own right that I should ask as well:
Is it a better practice with today's system and materials to
put /var, /tmp and maybe others on virtual memory instead of
disk ? Especially for a server that might run 24/7 ?
I can't speak to the errors you're getting (because I don't think you
included them?),
That's right, I haven't included the errors since this would have
required me to film my screen and upload a video. (And even with that,
I didn't run into the same errors once I re-installed with the default
partitionning anyway). From my (somewhat) extensive research I believe
the failure is actually due to an oversized root partition, that
apparently corrupts the heap memory of the bootloader. I'll try a
custom layout again formatting a < 8GB root partition.
but given that the SSD you're using is a Samsung SSD 870 and not
something generic/noname/garbage, I would not put the effort into
moving paritions onto mfs in an attempt to protect disk writes. And I
say that as someone that enjoys slinging around mfs mounts.
Really, even for a 24/7 server ? I might do that then, as it reduces
the hassle.
--
Sylvain Saboua
looking for a PDP-11
