sparse image

[Matthew Seaman]

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On 23/06/2010 11:26:43, Aiza wrote:
> Is there an equivalent of the MAC sparseimage on FreeBSD?

A filesystem image that only takes up as much space as the total of all
the files within it?

Not exactly.  There are many archiving formats -- dump, tar, cpio, etc.
etc. which fulfill the space usage criterion, but they aren't filesystem
images in the sense that you could mount them on your system.

Probably the closest thing is to create a .iso image using something
like growisofs(1m) (from the sysutils/dvd+rw-tools port), but while you
can mount a .iso as a file-backed metadevice you can't mount it read/write.

There is the Union FS type -- see mount_unionfs(8) -- where the overlay
layer just contains the changed files made since the filesystem was
mounted.  Which is sort-of what you're asking about, but not quite the
same thing.

	Cheers,

	Matthew

- -- 
Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil.                   7 Priory Courtyard
                                                  Flat 3
PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey     Ramsgate
JID: matthew at infracaninophile.co.uk               Kent, CT11 9PW
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