On Sat, 2005-08-06 at 17:16 -0500, dan wrote:
> I have entries in my fstab file for: an iPod, a USB flash drive, and a
> USB hard drive enclosure. All of these have the 'sync' option. I forget
> if I put that there, or if some other program put it there, or if I read
> you're supposed to use it...
> 
> Should I use the sync option for these devices? High performance isn't
> necessary; I don't use these devices that much. Safety of my data is
> more important. Does the sync option help that? Is it appropriate?

Yes, you should use the sync option if you are concerned about keeping
the data in a sane state.  The option turns on synchronous writes, which
makes sure that when a write() operation returns, the data has actually
been sent to the device.  If the sync option is not set, data is
buffered, which makes the process of writing data more efficient, but it
is not guaranteed that the files will actually be written/copied in a
timely manner (ie, before you yank the plug from your USB port).

-- 
Mike Hicks <hick0088 at tc.umn.edu>
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