[Python-checkins] CVS: python/dist/src/Lib/test test_largefile.py,1.7,1.8

[Sjoerd Mullender]

Fredrik Lundh wrote:
> 
> Sjoerd Mullender wrote:
> > This depends on the implementation of the file system.  It's true,
> > traditionally these gaps don't correspond to disk blocks, but e.g. the
> > SGI XFS file system does actually allocate disk blocks when you seek
> > past the end of a file.
> 
> which means that issubclass(Irix, Unix) is false.

That's nonsense.  Where in the definition of Unix does it say that file
systems are never allowed to allocate blocks when you seek past the end
of a file?  I guess that's the same place where it says that directory
entries are two bytes for the inode and 14 bytes for the file name?  (I
remember reading something about holes in the Unix V7 documentation...)

It's one of the great things of modern Unices that you can (relatively)
easily plug in a different file system if you so desire.

> (but we already knew that, didn't we ;-)

You knew maybe, but as a long time user of both Linux and various Unix
systems, I have a somewhat different opinion.