Re: Variable length fields

> And that presumption is incorrect.  Defragmentation on linux is
> relatively uncommon or, depending on file system, non-existent.  Not
> because no such tools exist but because the filesystems are smart enough
> to not need it.

Uh, I've never encountered a file system so "dumb" as to "need"
defragmentation. Neither have I encountered one so "smart" that its
performance wouldn't degrade under cases of extreme fragmentation.

At the same time, it's been years since the defragmentation utility in
Norton reported severe fragmentation on any volume on my Mac or my DOS
machines, and when I've used it (except for the first time on any given
box), it's always recommended "minimal" defragmentation, while I've always
overridden it to select "maximum" defragmentation.

--
JHHL