Changes to switch from ext2 2 ext3

[sixfeetsix]

Anybody knows a link to a decent explanations to the changes that has to be done to go from ext2 to ext3?

Would be really appreciated

PS: I tried compiling a new kernel with the ext3 support and changed my fstab so my linux partitions are ext3... kernel panic, didn't work, something bout vfs...

[bdl]

Did you actually create, mount and copy your install over to ext3 partitions or just change your fstab entry??

[sixfeetsix]

I compiled another kernel with ext3 filesystem and without ext2 filesystem.(it says in the documentation that ext3 is the same as ext2 for the on-disk structure, it just adds the journaling capacity).

I changed my fstab linux entries.

Now i would like some documentation on the subject to know exactly what to change...

Thanks in advance

[TheMuso]

Ok, lets start from the begining.
You have linux on existing ext2 partitions.

Here are steps to to change to ext3
1. Compile and install new kernel with ext3 support, and I would advise leaving ext2 support there as well, just to be safe.
2. Boot your new kernel, and should go fine.
For each partition, execute the following command:
tune2fs -j /dev/hd partition. For example, my partitions on my linux server are:
tune2fs -j /dev/hda1
tune2fs -j /dev/hda3
and so on.
Once this is done with every partition that you have in ext2 format that you want to convert, change the entries in your /etc/fstab file from ext2 to ext3, reboot and you are done. BTW. You don't have to unmount the partitions to perform the tune2fs program, and you also must have at least util-linux 2.11m, as well as e2fsprogs-1.25 to successfully use ext3 on your system, before you compile and use new kernel.

Good luck.

See, no formatting and copying. Great for one partition systems!

[bdl]

Ah, my bad. I'm so used to using reiserfs that I haven't bothered to even look into ext3...

[sixfeetsix]

DJ-dOoK, i have followed your instructions, but I can't do the tune2fs -j line, it brings up this error message:

tune2fs 1.24a (02-Sep-2001)
Creating journal inode: tune2fs: error while loading shared libraries: tune2fs:
undefined symbol: ext2fs_add_journal_inode

I believe it is about updating libraries, but which ones and how?

Thanks in advance

[TheMuso]

You need e2fsprogs-1.25 and util-linux-2.11m to successfully use the setup. YOu also have to have your ext3 enabled kernel runing before you create the journal on the filesystem.

[jdctx]

What would be some of the advantages for using ext3.? I gave it a try but had problems with it hanging up during boot past lilo the screen would blank or it would hang while a services was starting.

[Strike]

Actually, I'd suggest using auto instead of ext3 in your /etc/fstab because that way it will try ext2 second in case for some reason you forget to build in ext3 to a kernel. It prints out a bunch of crap on boot, though ... that gets annoying.

[TheMuso]

One thing I forgot to mention as well, is to upgrade to the latest lilo, as it can support ext3. Just a thought on the hanging boot, and yes, you could try what Strike suggested.

[sixfeetsix]

Thanks alot DJ-dOoK,

you were right about the packages, because I installed

e2fsprogs 1.24a

that I got from the Mandrake site.
So I got the version you told me about and installed the other one : util-linux-2.11n.
After that,

tune2fs -j /dev/hd??

worked fine.

Also, didn't have any problems with Lilo, and changing the ext2 to ext3 in fstab went fine.