EXT4 defragmentation software?

Shark82 · 05-10-2011, 07:36 AM

Hi

Is there any good defragmentation software for EXT4 filesystem? All the posts i have read have made me confused - some says EXT4 does fragment other says it doesn't.

I found one software but that one need some kernel patching. Is there any that is less demanding?

thx for answers

camorri · 05-10-2011, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Is there any good defragmentation software for EXT4 filesystem?

The answer is no, primarily because you don't need it. I did some research myself, and I know there are a few programs and scripts out there to defrag ext file systems. I could not find any proof defragging bought you a performance improvement. If and when it does, the programs will show up.

Relax, enjoy linux, and forget the stuff you have to do to a windbloze system.

John VV · 05-10-2011, 06:38 PM

Do to the nature of the file system it dose not fragment ( unlike ntfs - that if you look at it wrong it has 10x10^6 fragments)

The way ext3 and 4 work there are almost no fragments even after 5 + years .

Shark82 · 05-11-2011, 05:00 AM

Ok. I did fsck -nvf /dev/hda1 and i have only 0,7 % on non-contiguous files so everything is allright.

Thx for answers you calm down my "Linux soul"

sundialsvcs · 05-11-2011, 04:14 PM

Linux filesystems are designed to run continuously for years without requiring maintenance. (And, frankly, so is NTFS ...)

The days of FAT (which, to give it a break, was designed for floppy disks...) are long gone.

jefro · 05-11-2011, 04:33 PM

You could tar it all off and then tar it back. That was the old way to defrag.

eveningsky339 · 05-11-2011, 04:38 PM

As far as I know, ext4 does not fragment. You could always backup your important files to a USB device and reformat if you wanted to, but that would be complicated.

John VV · 05-11-2011, 05:19 PM

Quote:

You could tar it all off and then tar it back. That was the old way to defrag.

i had forgotten about that .

Shark82 · 05-12-2011, 07:37 AM

Cool. Nice tips. I will remember that for "tarring"

John VV · 05-12-2011, 01:14 PM

Ubuntu Shark just google " tarball"
it is the old Tape ARchive (tar) format