Convert Ext3 to Ext2 ???
Etno
I'm running RedHat 9. I'm about to upgrade to a larger hard drive, and
rather than reformatting, this time I thought I'd try out one of those drive
imaging programs. In particular Powerquest Drive Copy (dual boot
machine...the program would be run from Windows) seems like a good choice,
but it only supports Ext2, not Ext3. My Linux partitions are Ext3.
I was wondering, is it possible to covert an Ext3 drive to Ext2 without
formatting the drive and erasing it's contents? If so, how would that be
done? If not, does anyone know an opensource reliable drive imaging program
which supports Ext3?
Thanks a lot for the help!
Phillip Brown
Just mount it as ext2 - no conversion required
Peter T. Breuer
> I was wondering, is it possible to covert an Ext3 drive to Ext2 without
> formatting the drive and erasing it's contents?
Possible? It's *normal* to do so. Ext3 is ext2 plus a journal. Remove
the journal and you have exactly ext2. The ondisk format is the same,
sans the journal inode (if internal). You can mount an ext3 system as
ext2 just fine. Try it!
> If so, how would that be
> done?
By reading the manual for tune2fs. Grep on down to "journal".
> If not, does anyone know an opensource reliable drive imaging program
> which supports Ext3?
> Thanks a lot for the help!
Boy, you need it.
Peter
Doug Mitton
I do this sort of thing regularly and all you need is Linux! I'm not
sure of your Linux comfort level but here is an overview.
1) Mount both the old and new drives in the same machine.
2) Boot with a CD only distro (or a rescue floppy) like Knoppix
3) Prepare the destination drive partitions.
4) Use /bin/cp -av /source/* /dest/
5) Edit the /etc/fstab and /etc/lilo.conf files on the dest drive
6) Remove the old drive and permanently install the new drive
7) Boot with the rescuefloppy/cd and use the LILO directive
`linux root=/dev/hda1 single`
8) At the root prompt re-issue the `lilo` command to install the
lilo.conf boot loader.
9) Reboot the computer with the re-imaged and copied Linux
installation.
I use this procedure regularly for Linux and Windows 98. (My kids are
always "destrying" their gaming windows system so I just recover from
a backup image. Also, I backup my working Linux distro to another
harddrive partition.
The process "looks" more complicated than it really is.
Good luck, just thought I'd provide another option.
"Etno" <m...@i.com> wrote:
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Leon The Peon
Doug's instructions are good, if you need to do such a conversion.
BUT ext3 is backward compatible with ext2.
A kernel that doesnt know about ext3 will mount the an ext3 root filesystem
as ext2 ...
The journalling features of ext3 are only used 'BETWEEN NORMAL REBOOTS', and
so it doesnt really matter,
except that when mounted as EXT2, journalling features arent in use and so
a crash can cause a filesystem disaster.
"Doug Mitton" <doug_...@hotmail.x.com> wrote in message
news:mebfpv43utmlrlft5...@4ax.com...
дамјан г.
the on-disk format of ext2 and ext3 is exactly the same, so maybe your
program will work with ext3 also...
to convert ext2 to ext3 or vice-versa use the tune2fs tool:
tune2fs -O has_journal /dev/hda # ext2 -> ext3
tune2fs -O ^has_journal /dev/hda # ext3 -> ext2
--
Дамјан (jabberID:dam...@bagra.net.mk)
Во комунизмот човек експлоатира човека...
...во капитализмот е точно обратното.
fernando
Conversion *is* needed. You have to create the journal.
# man tune2fs
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http://xlife.zuavra.net/columns/20020211.php
.
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Vote anarchist
Robert Newson
> On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 17:33:07 +1000, Phillip Brown
> <phillip...@netscape.net> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 07:06:58 +0000, Etno wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Hey folks,
...
>>>I was wondering, is it possible to covert an Ext3 drive to Ext2 without
>>>formatting the drive and erasing it's contents? If so, how would that be
>>>done? If not, does anyone know an opensource reliable drive imaging program
>>>which supports Ext3?
>>>
>>>Thanks a lot for the help!
>>>
>>Just mount it as ext2 - no conversion required
>
> Conversion *is* needed. You have to create the journal.
Why would ext2 need a journal, seeing as it's an un-journalled fs? And he's
already got a journal as it's currently mounted, and running, as ext3.
(ext3 is just ext2 with journalling bolted on.) Mefinx you've got your 2's
and 3's mixed up (in reading the OP). Mounting a ext3 partition as ext2
should work fine - there'll just be the unused journal file sitting around
(AFAIK).
Lew Pitcher
If the OP wants to permenantly use the filesystem as ext2, he probably
should delete the journal. This can be done by using the appropriate tune2fs
option (IIRC, -o^has_journal ) so that subsequent attempts at ext3 mounting
will fail.
--
Lew Pitcher, IT Consultant, Application Architecture
Enterprise Technology Solutions, TD Bank Financial Group
(Opinions expressed here are my own, not my employer's)
Etno
> sure of your Linux comfort level but here is an overview.
>
> 1) Mount both the old and new drives in the same machine.
> 2) Boot with a CD only distro (or a rescue floppy) like Knoppix
> 3) Prepare the destination drive partitions.
> 4) Use /bin/cp -av /source/* /dest/
> 5) Edit the /etc/fstab and /etc/lilo.conf files on the dest drive
> 6) Remove the old drive and permanently install the new drive
> 7) Boot with the rescuefloppy/cd and use the LILO directive
> `linux root=/dev/hda1 single`
> 8) At the root prompt re-issue the `lilo` command to install the
> lilo.conf boot loader.
> 9) Reboot the computer with the re-imaged and copied Linux
> installation.
>
> I use this procedure regularly for Linux and Windows 98. (My kids are
> always "destrying" their gaming windows system so I just recover from
> a backup image. Also, I backup my working Linux distro to another
> harddrive partition.
>
> The process "looks" more complicated than it really is.
>
> Good luck, just thought I'd provide another option.
And it sounds like a good option. A couple of questions though. First, I
wouldn't have to do steps 5-8 if I move the drive onto the same ide cable as
the old drive, right? Because then it should have the same drive
designation letters as the old drive did, correct?
And Two, the command "/bin/cp -av /source/* /dest/" will copy
everything....not just files, right? By everything, I mean everything Linux
needs to run?
Thanks a lot!
Etno
"Etno" <m...@i.com> wrote in message
news:m6Llb.46566$Sc7....@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
Thanks for everyone's help. The problem is, while it may be possible to
mount an Ext3 as an Ext2, that doesn't change the fact that it is an Ext3,
right? It's still labeled as Ext3 in the partition table, correct?
Because, when I load up my Partition Manager from Windows, it's detected as
Ext3. I fear that if I buy DriveCopy, it's gonna detect it as Ext3 and tell
me that the file system is not supported.
How could I really change it into Ext2? With the tune2fs commands that you
folks mentioned do that?
tune2fs -O ^has_journal /dev/hda # ext3 -> ext2
I'd also like to try out Doug's suggestion. I didn't realize you could
image a drive just with the cp command:
/bin/cp -av /source/* /dest/
I thought that would have just copied the files....not everything underneath
as well.
Peter T. Breuer
> Thanks for everyone's help. The problem is, while it may be possible to
> mount an Ext3 as an Ext2, that doesn't change the fact that it is an Ext3,
> right? It's still labeled as Ext3 in the partition table, correct?
Sure - but nobody cares. Label it as MonkeyVision if you like.
> Because, when I load up my Partition Manager from Windows, it's detected as
It's not "detected", it's just reading the partition label. Change it
if you feel like.
> Ext3. I fear that if I buy DriveCopy, it's gonna detect it as Ext3 and tell
> me that the file system is not supported.
So what? Change the label then.
> How could I really change it into Ext2? With the tune2fs commands that you
It IS really ext2. Mount it that way and see!
> folks mentioned do that?
> tune2fs -O ^has_journal /dev/hda # ext3 -> ext2
But why would you care? The partition label will still say ext3! I
don't understand why you don't change the partition label, if that is
bothering you. Then your next question should be: will PM foul up if I
do that.
And I'd answer, "very probably".
> I'd also like to try out Doug's suggestion. I didn't realize you could
> image a drive just with the cp command:
> /bin/cp -av /source/* /dest/
Well of course it copies it. But don't forget the dot files and dirs.
> I thought that would have just copied the files....not everything underneath
What "everything"? There is NOTHING except files. That's a fundamental
tenet of unix (at least in name). What are you thinking of? I'm
baffled.
> as well.
Peter
Fred Emmott
Hash: SHA1
AFAIK. he doesnt mean the partition is labelled, he means that the
powerquest utilites analyze the partition and detects that it is ext3.
- --
Fred Emmott
GPG Key ID 0x710A691A
(cyclo @ irc.freenode.net)
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tSzGAKfzVR/Ua35awFTniro=
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Lew Pitcher
Ext3 is Ext2 with a journal
The tune2fs "-O ^has_journal" option tells tune2fs to turn off the "has
journal" flag in the filesystem, effectively converting the ext3 filesystem
into an ext2 filesystem by removing the indicator that says the filesystem
has a journal.
> I'd also like to try out Doug's suggestion. I didn't realize you could
> image a drive just with the cp command:
> /bin/cp -av /source/* /dest/
/bin/cp works well, but I usually use the tarpipe documented (by Alan Cox,
kernel hacker supreme) in section 2.6 of the Tips-HOWTO:
(cd /source/directory && tar cf - . ) | (cd /dest/directory && tar xvfp - )
> I thought that would have just copied the files....not everything underneath
> as well.
>
>
mjt
> Ext3. I fear that if I buy DriveCopy, it's gonna detect it as Ext3 and
> tell me that the file system is not supported
forget drivecopy: http://www.partimage.org/
.
--
/// Michael J. Tobler: motorcyclist, surfer, skydiver, \\\
\\\ and author: "Inside Linux", "C++ HowTo", "C++ Unleashed" ///
Neckties strangle clear thinking. - Lin Yutang
Doug Mitton
The -v is just because I'm nosey, the -a(rchive) option is the magic,
it by default recurses(sp) and maintains owner and attributes. In
your case you just have to make sure the `mke2fs` utility on your
interim boot method supports the -j (journalling) option. That way
you can do the whole thing from the comfort of ext3 file systems. I
have just recently gone through several rounds of this and I highly
recommend Knoppix as the intermediate tool, that is the disk to boot
to do the actual copy! I have found it is VERY difficult to copy from
or to the partition you are booted from.
Good luck!
Doug Mitton
"drive designation letters" is probably not the correct term when
talking about *nix systems but you have the idea. :-)
If the new (larger) drive is going to end up in the same position on
the IDE chain and on the same partition number after the whole
exchange then you won't have to do the file editing (# 5) BUT the new
drive will NOT have LILO in the LBA so it won't boot.
Steps 7 and 8 correct this problem.
I'll add a few details to my list below ... and make a few assumtions,
for instance each drive only has 1 primary partition and 1 swap.
"Etno" <m...@i.com> wrote:
>"Doug Mitton" <doug_...@hotmail.x.com> wrote in message
>news:mebfpv43utmlrlft5...@4ax.com...
>>
>> I do this sort of thing regularly and all you need is Linux! I'm not
>> sure of your Linux comfort level but here is an overview.
>>
>> 1) Mount both the old and new drives in the same machine.
New drive as primary master (/dev/hda) old drive as secondary
master (/dev/hdc). This way no straps have to be changed.
>> 2) Boot with a CD only distro (or a rescue floppy) like Knoppix
>> 3) Prepare the destination drive partitions.
Use `fdisk /dev/hda` to make the new drives linux and swap
partition.
Use `mkswap /dev/hda2` and `mke2fs -j -i 4096 /dev/hda1` to
format them.
>> 4) Use /bin/cp -av /source/* /dest/
`mkdir /source` and `mkdir /dest`
`mount /dev/hda1 /dest` and `mount /dev/hdc1 /source`
`/bin/cp -av /source/* /dest/`
>> 5) Edit the /etc/fstab and /etc/lilo.conf files on the dest drive
>> 6) Remove the old drive and permanently install the new drive
>> 7) Boot with the rescuefloppy/cd and use the LILO directive
>> `linux root=/dev/hda1 single`
>> 8) At the root prompt re-issue the `lilo` command to install the
>> lilo.conf boot loader.
>> 9) Reboot the computer with the re-imaged and copied Linux
>> installation.
>>
>> I use this procedure regularly for Linux and Windows 98. (My kids are
>> always "destrying" their gaming windows system so I just recover from
>> a backup image. Also, I backup my working Linux distro to another
>> harddrive partition.
>>
>> The process "looks" more complicated than it really is.
>>
>> Good luck, just thought I'd provide another option.
>
>And it sounds like a good option. A couple of questions though. First, I
>wouldn't have to do steps 5-8 if I move the drive onto the same ide cable as
>the old drive, right? Because then it should have the same drive
>designation letters as the old drive did, correct?
>And Two, the command "/bin/cp -av /source/* /dest/" will copy
>everything....not just files, right? By everything, I mean everything Linux
>needs to run?
>
>Thanks a lot!
--
Etno
trying to pretend to be one.
> > I thought that would have just copied the files....not everything
underneath
>
> What "everything"? There is NOTHING except files. That's a fundamental
> tenet of unix (at least in name). What are you thinking of? I'm
> baffled.
I'm a Windows Convert. In Windows, this was not possible. There were
settings that couldn't just be transferred over with a simple drag and drop
of the C drive. The registry for example.
I know what you're probably gonna say. This is Linux, not Windows. True,
but I still thought there would be certain things under the hood which helps
runs the OS and which couldn't merely be copied over with the cp command.
Another example would be that I wasn't aware if any applications when
installed recorded some inode file number and relied on it to operate.
Then, when transferred to the new drive the inode file number would change
and the application would break.
The point is, I didn't know if these situations or other ones existed (and
as I said this wasn't possible on Windows). No need for the condescension
though. I came here for help.
Peter T. Breuer
> > > I thought that would have just copied the files....not everything underneath
> >
> > What "everything"? There is NOTHING except files. That's a fundamental
> > tenet of unix (at least in name). What are you thinking of? I'm
> > baffled.
> I'm a Windows Convert. In Windows, this was not possible. There were
> settings that couldn't just be transferred over with a simple drag and drop
> of the C drive. The registry for example.
You are telling me that the reigistry is not a file? I don't believe
you! Maybe it has the serial number of the drive it is on inside it, in
which case you can just edit that. Is this something to do with Windows
XP's "registration"? Oh - just browse the windows groups and you'll see
them telling you what to change in the registry after a copy to stop
windows thinking its moved.
> I know what you're probably gonna say. This is Linux, not Windows. True,
> but I still thought there would be certain things under the hood which helps
> runs the OS and which couldn't merely be copied over with the cp command.
There aren't. Not even in windows. Mount a windows file system and see.
Maybe by "under the hood" you mean "some values to tweak IN files".
> Another example would be that I wasn't aware if any applications when
> installed recorded some inode file number and relied on it to operate.
Applications aren't written to have access to inode numbers. That's
part of the fundamental abstraction imposed by the kernel/userspace
divide. All an application should do is access the file system. It
can't even rely on WHICH file system.
> Then, when transferred to the new drive the inode file number would change
> and the application would break.
It would be a bug if any application did that, because inode numbers
can change without notice, just as you cited, by copying things around.
> The point is, I didn't know if these situations or other ones existed (and
There is no reason to imagine gremlims!
> as I said this wasn't possible on Windows). No need for the condescension
It is quite possible on windows. There is no magic there either! Of
that we can be sure. But then you probably meant "there is some trick to
switching some number in windows registry after you have done a copy to
let it know that you really haven't moved it after all, because that's
not in billy's licence".
Yes, there is. We know that. Software has no way of knowing where it is
running. That's why Billy wants to introduce these chips with a secret
key inside that could be queried by the software to check where it is.
Impossible to fake if key exchange is done right.
> though. I came here for help.
Peter
Doug Mitton
Well, to be fair, it is possible in Windows BUT it is VERY difficult
if you are trying to copy the files that you are running off of ...
that is it is VERY difficult to copy C:\*.* if that is the
partition/disk that you are booted from! You will find the same TYPE
of issues in Linux if you don't boot from an interim floppy, CD or
partition, do the copy, re-activate the MBR (for lack of a better
description) then boot the copy back up and use it.
"Etno" <m...@i.com> wrote:
--
Peter T. Breuer
Please do not top post. I'll fix your post.
> "Etno" <m...@i.com> wrote:
> >> What "everything"? There is NOTHING except files. That's a fundamental
> >> tenet of unix (at least in name). What are you thinking of? I'm baffled.
> >
> >I'm a Windows Convert. In Windows, this was not possible. There were
> >settings that couldn't just be transferred over with a simple drag and drop
> >of the C drive. The registry for example.
> Well, to be fair, it is possible in Windows BUT it is VERY difficult
What's difficult? All you would have to do would be to tweak a value!
Oh - you are saying that you have to do it BEFORE you start up the XP
o/s itself? Yes, of course. That's the point. Hardly difficult, is
it?
> if you are trying to copy the files that you are running off of ...
> that is it is VERY difficult to copy C:\*.* if that is the
Why? Oh - I seem to recall some kind of issue with windows boinggging
when asked to copy files that are actually the machine code on disk
of running executables, because of an XP o/s weirdness/bug. But why
would one copy from within the running o/s if that's the case?
Anyway, there is no such bug in proper o/s's, and never has been. And
it's irrelevant to windows too, since you can always boot from a floppy
and do it.
> partition/disk that you are booted from! You will find the same TYPE
> of issues in Linux if you don't boot from an interim floppy, CD or
Uh, NO. False. Nonsense. Piffle. Not the same TYPE at all.
> partition, do the copy, re-activate the MBR (for lack of a better
> description) then boot the copy back up and use it.
You can copy to your heart's content under linux, anything at all that
you like to. Of course some stuff you don't WANT to copy, like /proc,
which is a virtual file system, and would be worse than useless if
copied! And you'll get random snapshots of rapidly changing files like
log files, but so what? Don't write to them then. But you will miss
out on nothing at all if you copy!
As to the MBR, that's not part of the file system. But you can copy it
just as you like. It's just the first 512B of the disk. But it would
also be useless if copied, since it would contain embedded instructions
to boot off the wrong disk (i.e. bios boot device), most likely. You
should recreate it on yoru target instead.
Peter
Doug Mitton
All these are very valid points and arguments coming from the point of
view of your experience level ... but experience has to be developed
and someone, especially a beginner, who has a "terrible" accident on
his/her first few attempts isn't likely to develop much experience.
Since this thread started with a request for help/advice I decided to
post the worst case and they can figure out the exceptions for
themselves.
Peter T. Breuer
> All these are very valid points and arguments coming from the point of
> view of your experience level ... but experience has to be developed
> and someone, especially a beginner, who has a "terrible" accident on
> his/her first few attempts isn't likely to develop much experience.
Sure they are. Every time my faulty ram caused my FS on my 486 to
explode into a thousand fragments all called #12345, I developed piles
of experience. And got real good at electronic jigsaw puzzles too.
Blowing things to bits by accident is real good experience. There's
nothing one can't put together again.
But nothing will go wrong if he does a plain cp -a. That's what it's
for!
Peter
William Hooper
> In particular Powerquest Drive Copy (dual boot
> machine...the program would be run from Windows) seems like a good choice,
> but it only supports Ext2, not Ext3. My Linux partitions are Ext3.
Asking Powerquest would have saved you some time:
Solution: Converting the Linux Ext3 File System to Ext2 (and vice versa)
http://www.powerquest.com/support/primus/id3660.cfm
--
William Hooper
If you don't care where you are, then you ain't lost
Massimiliano Vessi
> I was wondering, is it possible to covert an Ext3 drive to Ext2 without
> formatting the drive and erasing it's contents? If so, how would that be
> done? If not, does anyone know an opensource reliable drive imaging program
> which supports Ext3?
What about becoming root and using "tar -cvf backup.tar /*" -> "bzip2
-9 backup.tar"?
It's simple and and you can compress a lot.
Ciao,
Max
AVVISO:
-- GLI ASCENSORI SARANNO FUORI SERVIZIO PER TUTTA LA GIORNATA --
(Gli ascensori in funzione piu' vicini si trovano nel palazzo di fronte.)
Fred Emmott
Hash: SHA1
2 things:
1) tar jcfv backup.tar.bz2 /*
2) Correct me if i'm mistaken, but that will miss dotfiles? (at least in
root directory if their are any there :S )
- --
Fred Emmott
(GPG Key ID 0x710A691A)
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Davorin Vlahovic
> "Etno" <m...@i.com> wrote:
>
>> I was wondering, is it possible to covert an Ext3 drive to Ext2 without
>> formatting the drive and erasing it's contents? If so, how would that be
>> done? If not, does anyone know an opensource reliable drive imaging program
>> which supports Ext3?
>
> What about becoming root and using "tar -cvf backup.tar /*" -> "bzip2
> -9 backup.tar"?
> It's simple and and you can compress a lot.
I know a simpler one:
tar cvjf backup.tar.bz2 /*
...or, if you really want to use pipe, then
tar cv ./* | bzip2 -9 > backup.tar.bz2
--
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of).
Francois Cerbelle
> I was wondering, is it possible to covert an Ext3 drive to Ext2 without
> formatting the drive and erasing it's contents? If so, how would that be
> done? If not, does anyone know an opensource reliable drive imaging program
> which supports Ext3?
You can mount the ext3 partition in ext2.
Then, remove the .journal file
Use tune2fs with -i and -c to reenable checking
modify you fstab
and remount
--
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(il),-'' (li),' ((!.-'