Repositioning /var | /tmp to avoid disk full condition

From: Joseph Maxwell (jemaxwell_at_jaymax.com)
Date: 05/31/03

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    Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 11:58:23 -0700
To: FreeBSD Users <questions@FreeBSD.ORG>

    Hello,
    The 3rd edition of "The Complete FreeBSD" suggest repositioning the /var
    directory ( and even /tmp) to prevent filling up that partition. I
    ignored it and did just that today, filled it up. So I attempted the
    repositioning with the following recommended command steps and results:

         cd /var
         tar cf - . | (cd /usr/var; tar xf - )
         cd /
         rm -rf /var
         ln -s /usr/var /var

    However the 'rm -rf /var' returned

         rm: /var: Device busy

    After trying all known tricks to me to remove /var, I concluded that
    since it was mounted from the /etc/fstab I should dismount it and remove
    the directory (link point ?) and create a soft link there as
    recommended. However, on rebooting boot was aborted, was thrown into
    single users mode. After some findangling eventually got the system back
    up as before with the /var directory, except that now it contains only
    the /var/cron and /var/run directories.

    The original /var contained

         /var/account:
         /var/at:
         /var/backups:
         /var/crash:
         /var/cron:
         /var/db:
         /var/games:
         /var/log:
         /var/lost+found:
         /var/mail:
         /var/msgs:
         /var/preserve:
         /var/qmail:
         /var/run:
         /var/rwho:
         /var/smtpd:
         /var/spool:
         /var/tmp:
         /var/webmin:
         /var/yp:

    How can I restore the full functioning structural integrity as before,
    of course the contents of the /usr/var directory was wiped out somwhere
    along the way, sans log, sans mail, sans everything. Just want to
    continue as before.

    Thanks.

    -- Joe --

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