[KLUG Members] [Fwd: [NFS] Has anyone run the Connectathon Testsuite recently?]

[Adam Tauno Williams]

>P.S.  Might want to stick with 2.4.7 for internal file servers (not
>that I'd recommend making an external one regardless ;-).
>I checked out kernel 2.4.9-6 from RedHat 7.1 updates. It failed the
>Connectathon Testsuite against the Linux and none-Linux server. I
>believe both NFS server and client are broken in 2.4.9-6. See
>http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=54868
>Now the question is how bad the current Linus/AC kernels are?

They stink.  2.4.12 is a welcome chunk of seeming solid code.  Everything from 
2.4.4 to 2.4.11 has been a disaster,  they should be viewed (IMHO) as 
extensions of the 2.3.x kernel tree.    I think it is 2.4.0 that was rushed out 
the door in order to provide decent hardware support (USB, etc...) 
and "enterprise" features like LVM,  as you simply were not going to see these 
features in 2.2.x.  2.4.x had just got to the point where it seemed too long in 
coming,  even Open Souce people have to ship eventually or credibility begins 
to erode (especially if the trade rags are focusing on it).

I've still got servers happily running 2.2.x and I think they will continue to 
do so for some time yet.

This isn't meant to criticize the kernel developers.  I don't think most people 
realize just how much changed from 2.2.x to 2.4.x.  The code is alot cleaner 
and more modular.  Some VFS issues remain,  in part due to the introduction of 
journalized filesystems,  not all of which agree on "how" to journal.  And the 
VM had some admittadly glaring flaws,  which it seems to have taken them much 
longer to fix than expected.

Systems and Network Administrator
Morrison Industries
1825 Monroe Ave NW
Grand Rapids, MI. 49505