> > I'm sure that this didn't used to happen (well it doesn't on SL3)...
> > 
> > $ cd /tmp
> > $ touch new-file
> > $ ls -al new-file 
> > -rw-r--r--  1 jp107 other 0 Oct  6 01:08 new-file
> > $ du -sk new-file 
> > 4       new-file
> > $ echo > new-file
> > $ ls -al new-file 
> > -rw-r--r--  1 jp107 other 1 Oct  6 01:08 new-file
> > $ du -sk new-file 
> > 8       new-file
> > 
> > if I make slightly bigger files then the 'extra' blocks allocated also
> > goes up (to 32K extra that I've seen).
> > 
> > $ uname -a
> > Linux hilus 2.6.9-42.0.2.EL #1 Tue Aug 22 16:56:02 CDT 2006 i686 i686 i386
GNU/Linux
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I don't see this behaviour:
> 
> # touch new-file
> # ls -al new-file 
> -rw-r--r--  1 root root 0 Oct  6 16:59 new-file
> # du -sk new-file 
> 0       new-file
> # uname -a
> 
> Linux aurum 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp #1 SMP Tue Aug 22 17:26:55 CDT 2006 
> i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
> # echo > new-file
> # ls -al new-file 
> -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1 Oct  6 17:01 new-file
> # du -sk new-file 
> 4       new-file
> 
> We use ext3 with options 'defaults' on a local SCSI disk.

I thought I'd give this a go myself:

Linux serverSL307 2.4.21-47.EL #1 Thu Jul 20 10:10:48 CDT 2006 i686 i686 i386
GNU/Linux

# touch new-file
# ls -al new-file
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Oct  7 08:57 new-file
# du -sk new-file
0       new-file
# echo > new-file
# ls -al new-file
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            1 Oct  7 08:57 new-file
# du -sk new-file
4       new-file

Linux serverSL43 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp #1 SMP Tue Aug 22 17:26:55 CDT 2006 i686
i686 i386 GNU/Linux
# touch new-file
# ls -al new-file
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 0 Oct  7 08:57 new-file
# du -sk new-file
0       new-file
# echo > new-file
# ls -al new-file
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 1 Oct  7 08:58 new-file
# du -sk new-file
4       new-file

I also don't do anything special and use ext3 defaults.

Regards,

Michael.