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Author Topic: Not enough disk space  (Read 8744 times)

Offline danielibarnes

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Not enough disk space
« on: January 20, 2009, 02:48:29 PM »
Has anyone encountered a disk space error when trying to install an application? I think this is because the root file system reports no available space:

Code: [Select]
tc@box:~$ df /
Filesystem 1k-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
rootfs             0    0         0   0% /
tc@box:~$

The installation application detects diskspace within its executable (not a script), so there isn't any straightforward method for circumventing detection. It seems to always check the root directory, because it fails even when I try to install to a directory mounted on the hard drive.

Any ideas? Support for unionfs doesn't seem to be included.

Thanks,
Daniel

Offline tobiaus

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Re: Not enough disk space
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2009, 03:00:21 PM »
yeah this is an issue when you're running wine, a lot of windows installers check "free space" and refuse to install without enough of it.

to install notepad++ i just plugged in a usb key and installed it there. unionfs is deliberately left out of tc, creating an extension for it seems overkill, but perhaps that would solve this for you.

Offline roberts

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Re: Not enough disk space
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2009, 04:50:26 PM »
We are not running from a real root filesystem, but instead initramfs+busybox.

All 2.6 Linux kernels contain a gzipped "cpio" format archive, which is
extracted into rootfs when the kernel boots up.  The kernel then checks to
see if rootfs now contains a file "init", and if so it executes it as PID 1.
At this point, this init process is responsible for bringing the system the
rest of the way up.

At this point I am using busybox and my tc-config and not trying to locate and mount a  real root device.
10+ Years Contributing to Linux Open Source Projects.

Offline tobiaus

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Re: Not enough disk space
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2009, 02:13:14 AM »
At this point I am using busybox and my tc-config and not trying to locate and mount a  real root device.

i'm glad tc doesn't have unionfs, it keeps things simple and small and fast like it ought to be. but for the rare occasion that there is a need for an accurate measure of free space by an application (maybe one that can't be recompiled?) or a person that wants it, i hope someone will see it fit to add unionfs or some other option, even if it's an option that few of us want or need, and one that has almost nothing to do with tinycore. (extensions are good.)

you're quick to tell someone that a method they use is "unsupported." it will give some the impression that you're punishing them for doing things their own way, not "the tinycore way," and after years of abuse from microsoft you can't blame them for thinking that, even incorrectly.

better perhaps to say it's not recommended, as you recently told someone that a full install will give him challenges that other people don't have. if they want to proceed, no grudge is beared, and they're free to make things more of a challenge for themselves. you are the author, but the community also provides support, and it seems unrealistic to tell them whether the rest of us will help them or not, even if they do silly things. if we want to help them use tc unconventionally, we should be free to.

if you think unionfs is not a good solution to the problem, that's more relevant than whether you need it, or even that most of us don't. i offered the only solution i know, to install to a mountable device (it doesn't have to be external, but it needs a partition. perhaps there is a virtual partition as a file that you could install to, then copy/merge its contents after installation. i'm thinking of qemu type of image, since iso is read only.)

we're better off for your ideas that make tinycore the way it is, i only hope you don't give people the impression you're telling them they have to use it a certain way, then they might dismiss and miss out on what i think is the best distro ever. i'd rather they feel they have options, even ones that aren't recommended and may create more problems than they solve. that's the way you're supposed to feel using linux, free to take it apart and get dirt under your nails.

tc should be like "tinkertoys for linux... all about having fun." let people have their fun. don't let me give you the impression i think there's anything wrong with putting choke hazard warnings or a note that says "keep tinkertoys away from open flames" on them, i just think you're going to give the very wrong impression that tc isn't fun or free if you always tell them how you use it, as if instructing. i would get that impression too, if i didn't know better. i think you're repeatedly conveying something you don't really mean, along with points i already see the worth of making.

you don't have to draw a line in the sand, between community support and author/design support, or use that to make anyone fear experimentation. if you think something isn't the ideal way, simply point out what you think is the better alternative. the fact that your name is on your post conveys all the authority needed, and if you need to warn them of the technical consequences, warn them, maybe we'll find a way past that challenge, too. i don't think that kind of peripheral creativity will hurt tc or your goals and this community has no desire to thwart them, just to have fun and help people do what they want to, when possible.
« Last Edit: January 21, 2009, 03:24:45 AM by tobiaus »

Offline curaga

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Re: Not enough disk space
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2009, 04:58:06 AM »
For wine at least, you can create a loop file, a ramdisk, or a tmpfs instance to be mounted in the drive_c directory. Run wine once so it creates everything, copy things out of drive_c, mount something there, copy back.
The only barriers that can stop you are the ones you create yourself.

Offline tobiaus

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Re: Not enough disk space
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2009, 05:30:25 AM »
For wine at least, you can create a loop file, a ramdisk, or a tmpfs instance to be mounted in the drive_c directory. Run wine once so it creates everything, copy things out of drive_c, mount something there, copy back.

thanks, this will probably work for other uses than wine, too. i don't however, know how to create a tmpfs or a loop-mountable image, other than iso.

Offline curaga

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Re: Not enough disk space
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2009, 06:06:13 AM »
tmpfs is the easiest:
Quote
mount tmpfs /path/to/mountpoint -t tmpfs
That's it, that creates a tmpfs mount half the size of your ram.
The only barriers that can stop you are the ones you create yourself.

Offline tobiaus

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Re: Not enough disk space
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2009, 07:17:10 AM »
mount tmpfs /path/to/mountpoint -t tmpfs

many thanks. if you want to define the size, use: mount tmpfs /path/to/mountpoint -t tmpfs -o size=40m ... and be certain to use more if you need more. df reports it as 40m.

Offline ^thehatsrule^

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Re: Not enough disk space
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2009, 09:38:53 AM »
OP: what are you trying to install?  Sometimes there are ways to extract the data manually.

If it's not something related to wine, using a fake "df" may allow you to install, ie one that reports / having some size.

Offline danielibarnes

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Re: Not enough disk space
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2009, 04:00:53 PM »
I was trying to install the linux version of Matlab; I must use it's installer. I compiled the aufs module, but I haven't had time to figure out how or if it can help me solve this problem.

I don't know how it gets the amount of free space, so that makes it difficult to proxy.