Read-only '/' - *ignore my last posting*

[Landon Noll]

Several folks wrote:
 >In <2483 at nsc.UUCP> chongo writes
 >> I would like to mount things like /bin, most of /etc, /usr/{bin,lib, ... },
 >> /dev/{mem,kmem,...}, usw...  on a read-only disc pack.
 >> 
 >> What is needed (if it can be done) to be done to unix to allow this?
 >
 >... You can then use 'mount /usr/src -r' to mount the ...

My previous posting of this article was in error.  I sent had sent the raw
message rather than the edited one.  Sorry!  Here is what I wanted to send:

I want to have '/' mounted on a READ-ONLY drive, and write-enabled files such as
/etc/utmp, /usr/adm...) mounted on write-enabled drive BEFORE I come up single
user.  The root drive will be hardware set to be read-only, so UNIX has
no choice.  Of course, swap would be done on the write-enabled drive.

I want things like /etc/passwd, or the inode for /dev/kmem to reside on the
read-only drive.  I don't want to symlink such files.  I want their path
(from root to the file) to reside on the read-only drive.

Could one add the READ_ONLY flag to the first mountfs call in init_main.c
along with an additional mountfs call for the write-enabled drive and make it
work?   How would UNIX deal with a read-only root?  Can this be made to work?

chongo <*sigh*, I hope the correct file goes out this time> /\../\
-- 
no comment is a comment.