[f2fs-dev] Questions about using f2fs to format the root partition during Slint installation.

From: Didier Spaier <didier@slint.fr>
To: linux-f2fs-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: [f2fs-dev] Questions about using f2fs to format the root partition during Slint installation.
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2020 00:17:54 +0200	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <13e19af7-69d5-6db3-441e-3be4921983de@slint.fr> (raw)

Hello list,

this email is a follow-up of:
https://www.mail-archive.com/linux-f2fs-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg14390.html

I will number the questions Q1, Q2 etc.

To summarize the context and goal: I want that the Slint installer
format the root partition with f2fs when appropriate, if possible
without asking questions to the user about the device.

I target usage of f2fs for the root file system in cases of USB flash
drives aka USB sticks, SD cards, eMMC, as if I understand correctly
these kinds of devices benefit the most of wear minimization and
increase of performance when using f2fs. I plan to use ext4 for SSD
(including NVMe) and hard disks.

This leads to several questions:

Q1: Comments about this choice of target devices for f2fs, knowing that
I favor security over performances and that the "auto" option of the
installer is intended for your grand-mother? I am a grand father myself
<smile>.

Q2. How-to determine if the drive fall in one of the types listed above
without asking the user if possible?

I have considered using the output of lsblk and/or "udevadm info" but
that doesn't seem to provide enough information on the device.

As an aside, I have seen rota=1 for an USB boot stick. ??? 

Q3. What would be the safest options to include in the relevant line of
/etc/fstab forthe root partition using f2fs?

Q4. do you confirm the statement below? it is a quote of web page:
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/F2FS
> When using f2fs > When using f2fs as rootfs fsck fails on boot.
> Solutions are either disabling fsck in /etc/fstab (setting the last
> number to 0) or enabling the force-flag for fsck in /etc/conf.d/fsck.
> See bug #671786

Q5. I am correct f2fs can be expanded but not shrinked. Is it still
true? Will it planned to bring this feature?

Q6. Currently we ship a 4.19 kernel. Would it be preferable to ship a
5.4 one instead shipped in Slackware-current at time of writing, knowing
that we ship an no patched (aka vanilla) kernel and what would be the
benefit of doing so wrt f2fs?

Have a good day,

Didier

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