Rootfs choice ideas

[xemc]

> > And we can modify files freely.
> 
> Yes but you don't _have_ to modify files freely. You can exercise a
> little restraint :)

Well, perhaps you don't know me too well.  =]  But you have a good point.

> Yes. This is usually done in packages -- by RPM or more usefully on an
> embedded system by something smaller like ipkg. Take a look at the
> Familiar distribution.

Thanks, I will do that.  I guess I just haven't thought along those lines.

> 'rpm -Vva'
> 
> Not sure if ipkg stores checksums of the installed files.

Aha.  Well, I'd have to say I've never used rpm before.  I usually use
Slackware, just starting with Debian (laptop) and Gentoo (x86-64
desktop)
 
> >  3. I could perhaps run into problems when updating it, for
> > instance if the update fails part-way through.
> 
> You reattempt the update after you come back up.

If I can come back up with a partially failed update.  But yes, the
same thing can be done that I was proposing, but using packages on a
JFFS2 filesystem as well.

> Basically it's up to you -- if you can manage to live with a read-only
> file system, as presumably you could since you seem to consider
> writeability a disadvantage, then you might as well stick with cramfs.

Well, I suppose I considered it a disadvantage when I don't need it. 
My idea was to partition read-only areas (maybe CRAMFS) separately
from a read-write area (JFFS2).  But there seem to be multiple ways of
doing this.

Thanks for your feedback.  It is appreciated, and I'll mull over it for a bit.

Mike