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fedemengo/linux-fs-namespace-workaround.md

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Last active March 11, 2021 09:23
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Not enough space on /tmp for Matlab install? No problem.
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linux-fs-namespace-workaround.md

Problem scenario:

  1. stupid Matlab installer wants to download several gigabytes into your /tmp directory.
  2. You don't have "several gigabytes" available on your root partition (where /tmp is). The installer warns you and/or fails.
  3. You DO have available disk space, but on some other disk/partition/wherever.

Solution:

Run the command inside Linux filesystem namespace. For example, create a folder in $HOME such as mkdir /home/USER/tmp`

sudo unshare --mount -- /bin/bash -c "mount -o bind,noexec,nosuid,nodev /home/USER/tmp /tmp && sudo -u USER ./matlab_VERSION_glnxa64/install"

So now the installer process runs as usual, but all writes into /tmp are actually written into /foobar/tmp, which has lots and lots of space available. The installer succeeds. Hooray!

More info

man namespaces man unshare

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