[TriLUG] ext3 surprise

[Brian Daniels]

On Thu, Mar 25, 2004 at 01:21:08PM -0500, Jeremy Portzer wrote:
> In other words, ext3 gave you the advantage that you knew for sure that
> /sbin/install-info was toast.  You were guaranteed of knowing which
> files were inconsistent and which were fine.  Without any journaling,
> there might have been files that passed an fsck fine, but actually had
> garbage data in them.
> 

Two problems here:

1. ext3 gave no warning.  The journal recovered without errors.  If I 
hadn't manually forced a fsck I would not have known of the corrupted file.

2. /sbin/install-info was _not_ a recently written file.  It dates back to 
1-24-2003, from the original RH9 install.  The copy I was performing at the 
time of crash was to the /home filesystem, on a separate partition from /.

I'm starting to wonder if something else corrupted that file in the past, 
and I'm only now finding it.  With ext3 you don't usually run fsck's.

I'm thinking I may run some fsck's on other systems today...

--Brian


-- 
Question with boldness even the existence of a god;
because if there be one he must approve of the
homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear.

--Thomas Jefferson, Aug. 10, 1787


Brian Daniels                  bitmage at bellsouth.net
      http://www.eviloverlord.net