5.1B /proc missing

[jason_lee]

Hi,
Our setup:
1) Tru64Unix 5.1B
2) TruCluster 5.4

I noticed that /proc is missing, & it is causing some application processes can't start. Any idea why /proc is not configured? What's the purpose of this mountpoint?

[Venkatesh BL · Accepted solution]

Edit the /etc/fstab file as root and add the
following entry:
/proc /proc procfs rw 0 0
Then execute following command as root:
# mount /proc

[jason_lee]

Venka,
Thanks for the reply. My questions:

1) What's the impact of mounting the /proc ?
2) Will it impact the existing applications/resources?

[Steven Schweda]

> 1) What's the impact of mounting the /proc ?

Uh, it's accessible to programs which try to
access it?

> 2) Will it impact the existing
> applications/resources?

I wouldn't expect it to crash into ("impact")
anything. What kind of effects are you
worried about or hoping for?

Have you consulted "man proc"?

http://h30097.www3.hp.com/docs/base_doc/DOCUMENTATION/V51B_HTML/MAN/MAN4/0187____.HTM

[jason_lee]

Steven,
Since we are dealing with a production server, the users will ask, "after mounting /proc, will it affect our existing (running) applications? Will the application crash, or stop working?" etc.

[Steven Schweda]

With my weak psychic powers, I know nothing
about what's running on your system, but I
can't think of anything likely to go wrong
which hasn't already gone wrong.

A program which was expecting to see "/proc"
should already be having problems because
it's missing. A program which didn't notice
that it was missing seems unlikely to notice
anything if it suddenly appears. If you want
more than this plausibility argument, then I
can't help.

I could _design_ a program which might go
nuts if "/proc" suddenly appeared, but I
can't think of a good reason for one to
exist.

I don't think that you can get a guarantee
anywhere. (None which has any value,
anyway.)

> [...] some application processes can't
> start [...]

> [...] users will ask, [...]

Offer them a choice.

> Any idea why /proc is not configured?

Nope. Around here, it's in "/etc/fstab":

urtx# grep proc /etc/fstab
/proc /proc procfs rw 0 0

so it's always mounted automatically:

urtx# mount | grep proc
/proc on /proc type procfs (rw)

so I've never needed to give it a thought.

[jason_lee]

Steven,
Yes, I've the same feeling like you. Since /proc is an optional f/s, we can mount/unmount it. If there is really a problem with the existing apps, after mounting /proc (highly unlikely), we can just unmount it.

Thanks.
ps: will just mount it & see what happen

[jason_lee]

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