From: Dan Nelson
Date: May 15 2003 4:08pm
Subject: Re: Linux x86 file size limit w.r.t. MySQL
List-Archive: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql/139910
Message-Id: <20030515160830.GF23782@dan.emsphone.com>
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In the last episode (May 15), Andy Smith said:
> One of our tables has grown to 4GB.  We are using Linux 2.4.20 on x86
> with ext3 fs.  I have read the MySQL manual which seesm to suggest
> that the RAID option is the only way forward.
> 
> Has anyone else had any luck getting 4GB+ tables on this platform
> with e.g. reiserfs?  Or maybe there is some kernel option I am
> missing.

By default, MyISAM datafiles have a 4gb limit so they can use 4-byte
record pointers.  To tell mysqld that a particular table will be larger
than 4gb, you need to give it estimated rowlength and record volumes
with ALTER TABLE.  This is explained in the manual; see
http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/Table_size.html

The RAID option is really only useful on Linux 2.2 kernels or other
systems that simply cannot create files over 2/4gb.

-- 
	Dan Nelson
	dnelson@stripped