Bonehead Move, LVM

[Andy Green]

bram wrote:

>> I tossed FC4 when I discovered that it installs LVM by default. LVM is
>> IMO worse than useless. I see no advantages for me, and I see problems
>> (like yours, for example) looming in the future.

> I would have to agree on this, for our servers we use freebsd because it 
> does not have lvm and it's very easy to add drives etc.
> Would it not be a good idea to add a checkbox in the installer wich says 
> yes automic partitioning but no lvm.

You can fiddle with the automatic partitioning choices in Anaconda, the 
last time I did it I recall I deleted the LVM line without deleting the 
ext3 stuff inside it, and with that one step it then was what I wanted, 
the ext3 part replaced the deleted LVM line without having to regenerate 
the ext3 part.  So it is already pretty simple at install time IIRC to 
nuke LVM.  Kickstart no doubt lets you automate that choice too.

LVM does have its uses binding really large storage arrays that are 
already raided.  I made some large servers from 12 SATA drives like 
that.  But I agree with both of you, I think you should have to select 
it at install time, not deselect it.  I can see why people think they're 
doing a good deed there in the case someone adds another drive later, 
but they are also bringing pain into the world if you need to get down 
on the filesystem in a crisis, needless pain in the case of a laptop 
drive that will never be expanded with permanent storage.  And even the 
good deed is questionable if the substrate was not raided to start with, 
the chance of destroying the entire filesystem increases with each drive 
you spread it over...

-Andy