ext2_free_blocks (fwd)

[Rogier Wolff]

Theodore Y. Ts'o wrote:
>    Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:46:11 +0100 (MET)
>    From: R.E.Wolff en BitWizard.nl (Rogier Wolff)
> 
>    >>>[..]  Since fsck -f didn't find any problems, it was probably your
>    >>>hardware hiccuping and returning the wrong block when ext2 tried to read
>    >>in an indirect block. [..]
>    >>
>    >>The corrupted metadata block is been freed before fsck had a chance to run
>    >>and once the metadata block become an unused block all returned fine.
>    >> 
>    >How do you know that?  It's a plausible scenario, but only if someone
>    >deleted the file containing the bad indrect block before running fsck.
> 
>    The kernel would've spit a bunch of "freeing block outside datazone" in
>    that case. 
> 
> Very true.  I usually recommend that people, when they see that error,
> to immediately reboot and run fsck, since to not do that risks further
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> filesystem corruption. 
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Very true. 

However, I'd recommend forcing the reboot by pressing the reset switch
instead of shutting down normally. Automatically forces the fsck. 

But more importantly, you run the chance that the wrong block, somehow
marked dirty isn't written back to the drive....

(This only applies if you notice the messages and know what to do
within 5-30 seconds....)

				Roger.

-- 
** R.E.Wolff en BitWizard.nl ** http://www.BitWizard.nl/ ** +31-15-2137555 **
*-- BitWizard writes Linux device drivers for any device you may have! --*
 "I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was going to blame it on you."

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