Can't resize or copy ext3 partitions created by Etch?
 

What happened to ext3? Any ext3 partitions created by the Debian 4.0 (Etch) installer can't be copied or resized by it. Any ext3 partitions created by the Debian 3.1 (Sarge) installer CAN be copied or resized by it (as well as the Etch installer).

When attempting to copy an ext3 partition created by the Etch installer, it complains with this error:

Error: File system has incompatible feature enabled

I gather this is a "parted" error, and has something to do with newer ext3 features? What features? Is there a way to use the Debian 4.0 installer to create an ext3 partition without those features?

When attemption to resize an ext3 partition created by the Etch installer, it complains that it's impossible to resize it due to "an unknown error".

I often use the Debian installer for disk maintenance because I can easily net-boot it at any time and my file server has 4 hard drives (no IDE left for a CD drive).

I can use a recent version of GParted to copy one of these annoying ext3 partitions (which then also can't be copied or resized by the Etch installer). Unfortunately, GParted can only resize a partition to make it bigger--not smaller! In order to make a partition smaller, I need to copy the partition's contents somewhere, and then destroy the original partition/create a new smaller one. But that only works if I have enough space somewhere to do it! And I don't really know how to copy all of the contents (for example, tar says it skips "sockets" and other stuff, and I don't know what the deal is with the boot area).

Currently, my kludgy solution is to destroy any ext3 partitions created by Etch and use the Sarge installer to create new partitions. This is, of course, a ROYAL PAIN.

Any ideas on what happened to ext3, and if there's a way to make the Debian 4.0 installer create older style ext3 partitions?