[...]
> > /dev/wd0e /usr ffs rw 1 2
 [...]
>  /dev/wd0e /usr ffs,softdep rw 1 2
>
> Try adding "softdep" as above. I think that would (slightly?) increase
> disk performance.

I've had softdep in there before.  I didn't notice that it made any
difference, as I recall.  Besides, the problems that I'm facing here are
*drastic* (about 10 seeks per second according to bonnie++; yes, that's
10, the square root of 100, filesystem seeks per second).

The number of seeks should be closer to 1000 or 1500 per second, I
believe.


Again, it *flies* in single-user mode.

I'm going to try the suggestion of fiddling with wscons a bit, then I'm
going to be out of time to fool with this for a few more days.



  ``I probably don't know what I'm talking about.'' --rauch@math.rice.edu