Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off

From	pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.arch.embedded
Subject	Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off
Date	2017-06-16 12:10 +0200
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<oi0ajn$kae$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)

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I'm playing with a Raspberry system, however I think my question is 
about Linux embedded in general.

We all know that the OS (linux or windows or whatever) *should* be 
gracefully powered down with a shutdown procedure (shutdown command in 
Linux). We must avoid cutting the power abruptly.

If this is possible for desktop systems, IMHO it's impossible to achieve 
in embedded systems.  The user usually switch off a small box by 
pressing an OFF button that usually is connected to the main power 
supply input.  In any case, he could immediately unplug the power cord 
without waiting for the end of the shutdown procedure.

I'm interesting to know what are the methods to use to reduce the 
probability of corruption.

For example, I choose to use a sqlite database to save non-volatile user 
configurable settings. sqlite is transaction based, so a power 
interruption in the middle of a transaction shouldn't corrupt the entire 
database. With normal text files this should be more difficult.

I know the write requests on non-volatile memories (HDD, embedded Flash 
memories) are usually buffered by OS and we don't know when they will be 
really executed by the kernel. Is there a method to force the buffered 
writing requests immediately?

Other aspects to consider?

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Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2017-06-16 12:10 +0200
  Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2017-06-16 18:45 +0800
    Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2017-06-16 13:19 +0200
      Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2017-06-16 21:42 +0800
  Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Jack <jack4747@gmail.com> - 2017-06-16 04:13 -0700
    Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-06-16 15:38 +0300
      Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off John Speth <johnspeth@yahoo.com> - 2017-06-16 11:24 -0700
        Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-16 11:39 -0700
        Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-06-17 17:35 +0300
          Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off lasselangwadtchristensen@gmail.com - 2017-06-18 11:47 -0700
  Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-16 13:31 +0200
    Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2017-06-16 21:52 +0800
    Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2017-06-19 12:47 +0200
      Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Jack <jack4747@gmail.com> - 2017-06-19 04:27 -0700
        Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2017-06-20 10:51 +0200
      Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-19 13:41 +0200
      Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-19 22:40 -0400
  Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-16 11:26 -0700
    Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-17 01:33 -0400
      Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-16 23:40 -0700
        Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-19 21:42 -0400
          Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-19 20:36 -0700
            Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-19 20:47 -0700
          Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Ed Prochak <edprochak@gmail.com> - 2017-06-20 15:53 -0700
  Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Joe Chisolm <jchisolm6@earthlink.net> - 2017-06-16 13:30 -0500
  Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Krzysztof Kajstura <supportDELETETHIS@NOSPAMkristech.eu> - 2017-06-20 09:34 +0200
    Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2017-06-21 08:57 +0200
      Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Krzysztof Kajstura <supportDELETETHIS@NOSPAMkristech.eu> - 2017-06-21 13:40 +0200
  Re: Linux embedded: how to avoid corruption on power off Anders.Montonen@kapsi.spam.stop.fi.invalid - 2017-06-22 05:41 +0000

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