Re: Why df does not work

[Marcus Brinkmann <Marcus.Brinkmann@ruhr-uni-bochum.de>]

Chris Lingard wrote:
> 
> Have run df though gdb to find out why the message "cannot read table of
> mounted filesystems" is always given.

We actually knew this, and it is in the FAQ at www.debian.org.
The trick is to always specify a filesystem, for example

df /
 
> setmntent reads the file   /var/run/mtab   and this is an empty file on
> the Hurd.

It should be non existant.
 
> The file /var/run/mtab is touched by  rc.sh.  In the Hurd source
> daemon/ChangeLog, is a note that the file must exist for mke2fs to
> work.  Does mke2fs use this file to check for mounted partitions, and if
> so can the Hurd mke2fs a mounted partition?

I think the file does not need to exist, and the comment is obsolete. I
will try
and consequently remove the entry in rc.sh.

> df needs some method of reading which partitions are mounted.  Is this a
> Hurd bug?

no, it does not need it, and it is more a feature than a bug.

The Hurd is a multiserver OS, and there is no central authority for
mounted filesystems.
What we could do is to write a database server where filesystems can
register themselves
if they want.

Thanks,
Marcus