SUMMARY: Expand filesystem which is short of space?

Ning Zhang (btinz@ui.uis.doleta.gov)
Tue, 24 Feb 1998 16:04:13 -0500

I summarized this before and now put something new here:

Questions:
I have tried to install packaged GNU gcc 2.8.0 for Solaris 2.6. The
installation told me that /var is full and then aborted. There is about
19000k space available in /var at that time. It seems unbelievable.
My questions:
1) How much space in /var is needed to install gcc 2.8.0 for Solaris
2.6? (How so much?)
2) How to solve the problem when /var or /usr has no enough space? Other
than moving some directories/files to other filesystems and ln them back
to /var or /usr, any better or easier ways? - very curious.

Answer:
1) I'm not sure of the exact size but I had the same problem. It has
something to do with the /var/tmp and /var/sadm directories. It seems
that when the installation takes place it expands the files in the
/var/tmp and information written/appended to the /var/sadm. Hence, if
you don't have enough space in /var you won't be able to install. What I
did was move my /var/tmp and /var/sadm to another file system with large
disk space.
2) Well, the link stuff is the easiest and fastest way (to me). Another
way would be to backup the /var and /usr then re-partition the disk to
change the partition size. Another way would be to use the 'tunefs'
command to modify your reserve space on the partition. I think the
command is 'tunefs -m <new size> <file system>' it's in the man page.

Note:
Solution (1) works well and solved the problem. I haven't tested the
"tunefs" yet.

Big Thanks:
Eddy Sutanto <sutantoe@jakarta.geoquest.slb.com>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ning Zhang Systems Analyst
Department of Labor Washington, D.C.
btinz@uis.doleta.gov changning@juno.com
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