NFS based /usr prevents normal startup due to slow net init

[Oliver Fromme]

Steven Hartland wrote:
 > Oliver Fromme wrote:
 > > For FreeBSD, I think a workable solution would be to
 > > write a new RC script (e.g. /etc/rc.d/port_up) that
 > > polls the configured interfaces and waits until they
 > > are up.  It should have a configurable timeout so it
 > > won't hang forever.  Then add it to the REQUIRE line
 > > of the /etc/rc.d/mountcritremote script.
 > 
 > Although that sounds like a possible solution I wouldnt
 > be suprised if there are other services which REQUIRE
 > "NETWORKING" and make assumptions about the network
 > state which are currently invalid.

Possibly.

 > Given this perhaps NETWORKING is where this fix should
 > really be implemented?

I thought about that, too.  However, there are people who
don't need the network to be up right at boot time.  For
example my notebook and my workstation at home.  For those
it would be annoying to have a 15 seconds delay during boot
for no good reason.

Therefore I would suggest to implement such a polling in
a separate RC script and add it as a requirement only to
thos scripts which absolutely need to have a working net-
work for successful start-up.  mountcritremote is certainly
the most prominent example, as this thread shows.

Another solution for that particular problem would be to
add a feature to mount_nfs(8) to wait for a certain time
and try again if a hostname lookup fails and the "bg" flag
was specified for a mount.

Best regards
   Oliver

-- 
Oliver Fromme, secnetix GmbH & Co. KG, Marktplatz 29, 85567 Grafing b. M.
Handelsregister: Registergericht Muenchen, HRA 74606,  Geschäftsfuehrung:
secnetix Verwaltungsgesellsch. mbH, Handelsregister: Registergericht Mün-
chen, HRB 125758,  Geschäftsführer: Maik Bachmann, Olaf Erb, Ralf Gebhart

FreeBSD-Dienstleistungen, -Produkte und mehr:  http://www.secnetix.de/bsd

"C++ is over-complicated nonsense. And Bjorn Shoestrap's book
a danger to public health. I tried reading it once, I was in
recovery for months."
        -- Cliff Sarginson