Re: how can I add disk space?

["Markus Stahl" <c-3@gmx.net>]

Date sent:      	Thu, 5 Oct 2000 11:00:38 -0400
From:           	Andrew Sullivan <sullivana@bpl.on.ca>
To:             	c-3@gmx.net
Subject:        	Re: how can I add disk space?

Isn't there a way to combine the two HDs' capacity without 
recompiling the kernel (maybe by just loading a module or 
something) or can I perhaps just download such a kernel which 
allows multiple devices driver support? Because compiling a kernel 
is a little bit to hard for me.
And when I do so, do I have to backup the data on both HDs or just 
of the second (new) drive?


> On Thu, Oct 05, 2000 at 04:45:46PM +0200, c-3@gmx.net wrote:
> > Hello!
> > 
> > I've got a samba-file-server whichs disk resources are getting very 
> > low, so I have to add new disk space.
> > I've already tried to install a new HD and mounted it into /home 
> > (where all my samba datas are being saved). But the problem is 
> > now all datas are only written on the new HD instead of useing the 
> > disk space of both HDs.
> > There must be a way to use both HDs' disk space, isn't there one?
> 
> Well, maybe, but not an easy one if you haven't already compiled in
> the option.
> 
> You can add a new disk inside the filesystem.  So,
> 
> # mount /dev/newdisk /mnt
> # cp -a /home/* /mnt
> # umount /mnt
> # umount /home
> # mount /dev/newdisk /home
> 
> Now your new disk on on /home, with all the old data.  That won't get
> you the old disk, though.
> 
> To do that, you could mount the old disk as /home2, and symlink some
> directories from inside /home onto /home2.  That would allow you to
> use both disks.  It requires manual work, though, so it's a pain.
> 
> You can recompile your kernel to allow "multiple devices driver
> support" (under block devices), but you'll need to pull all your old
> data off the partition to do it, I think.  This is a way to make a
> software RAID out of the partitions.  The problem is that the
> partition is not RAIDed now, so you'd need to backup, make the raid
> (i.e. make the two drives one device), and then resore all your data. 
> I _might_ be wrong that you have to do it this way (read the docs,
> because I've never done this), but I am pretty sure you do.
> 
> A
> 
> -- 
> Andrew Sullivan                                      Computer Services
> <sullivana@bpl.on.ca>                        Burlington Public Library
> +1 905 639 3611 x158                                   2331 New Street
>                                    Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7R 1J4
>