defragment EXT4?

cccc · 10-29-2012, 08:32 AM

Hi

Normally, linux file system don't need to be defragment, but what you think about this defrag tool?

https://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/applications/hdd-ranger/

acid_kewpie · 10-29-2012, 09:02 AM

interesting discussion on reddit about it... http://www.reddit.com/r/Ubuntu/comme...ftware_center/

I'd certainly never go near it. At this basic level, you're never going to get a useful paid tool that you won't get for free, indeed this presumably IS a e4defrag gui and nothing else.

shefla · 10-29-2012, 09:05 AM

Hi,

I would not pay for tool which is maybe useless.

Extract from wikipedia:

Quote:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defrag...le-system_type
Linux ext2, ext3, and ext4: Much like UFS, these filesystems employ allocation techniques designed to keep fragmentation under control at all times. As a result, defragmentation is not needed in the vast majority of cases. ext2 uses an offline defragmenter called e2defrag, which does not work with its successor ext3. However, other programs, or filesystem-independent ones, may be used to defragment an ext3 filesystem. ext4 is somewhat backward compatible with ext3, and thus has generally the same amount of support from defragmentation programs. In practice there are no stable and well-integrated defragmentation solutions for Linux, and thus no defragmentation is performed.

Anyway, I know a trick to unfragment a non system partition and which is working almost all the time:
- copy the whole content of the fragmented partition to another one (you need enough space)
- copy back data to the previously fragmented partition

Regards

acid_kewpie · 10-29-2012, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shefla

Hi,

I would not pay for tool which is maybe useless.

Extract from wikipedia:

Anyway, I know a trick to unfragment a non system partition and which is working almost all the time:
- copy the whole content of the fragmented partition to another one (you need enough space)
- copy back data to the previously fragmented partition

Regards

Why use "tricks" when there are proper ways to achieve this largely pointless objective?

shefla · 10-29-2012, 09:32 AM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by acid_kewpie

Why use "tricks" when there are proper ways to achieve this largely pointless objective?

From what I know this tool was still buggy (at least until the middle of this year).
After maybe I am wrong and it is not the case anymore.
In such case, it would be a good news for me.

Regards

cccc · 10-29-2012, 10:19 AM

BTW Fragmentation can be check using e2fsprogs

Another defragmenting tool is e4defrag:

http://prefetch.net/blog/index.php/2...tion-near-you/

acid_kewpie · 10-29-2012, 10:27 AM

yes, I already said that

cccc · 10-29-2012, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acid_kewpie

yes, I already said that

Yep, sorry, I didn't read carefully before.

jefro · 10-29-2012, 11:43 AM

The old way was to tar it off and back.

John VV · 10-29-2012, 12:53 PM

the very few and far in between fragments ( they do happen but not often)
are solved by taring up the files and then extracting them

they are now continuous files

there is no need for anything

widget · 10-29-2012, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shefla

Hi,

I would not pay for tool which is maybe useless.

Extract from wikipedia:

Anyway, I know a trick to unfragment a non system partition and which is working almost all the time:
- copy the whole content of the fragmented partition to another one (you need enough space)
- copy back data to the previously fragmented partition

Regards

This is similar to what I would do if I had defragmentation worth worrying about.

Edit;
I didn't look at the link in the OP before posting.

If you run Ubuntu this would be the tool for you. The average Ubuntu user will never understand that there is a difference between a Linux OS and a MS OS. They NEED to defrag to be comfortable.

Let them enjoy themselves.

Copying someplace and back would work. Resizing the partition by any amount (1mB) will achieve the same thing.

You should have no trouble with defragmentation if you make sure your partition is not over 80% full.

Randicus Draco Albus · 10-29-2012, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by widget

The average Ubuntu user will never understand that there is a difference between a Linux OS and a MS OS. They NEED to defrag to be comfortable.

Let them enjoy themselves.

That is a dubious argument. Perhaps a better solution would be for Shuttleworth and his Canonical to focus more energy on educating their users, instead of trying to sell them things? At least, that is the way I see it.

widget · 10-30-2012, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randicus Draco Albus

That is a dubious argument. Perhaps a better solution would be for Shuttleworth and his Canonical to focus more energy on educating their users, instead of trying to sell them things? At least, that is the way I see it.

Don't hold your breath.

k3lt01 · 10-30-2012, 01:45 AM

The only time I have defraged my Linux installs is when I have done a re-install. I back up my /home, do the install, and then copy back what I need. Walla new install totally clean and defraged.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randicus Draco Albus

That is a dubious argument.

Not really when you consider what posts are made about Ubuntu in various forums.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randicus Draco Albus

Perhaps a better solution would be for Shuttleworth and his Canonical to focus more energy on educating their users, instead of trying to sell them things? At least, that is the way I see it.

Totally agree but, and this is just my opinion, Canonical seems to want Ubuntu users to be uneducated and Ubuntu users tend to like being that way. The ones who ask questions often move to other distros and are often told in places like Ubuntu forums "if you don't like it then use another distro."

evo2 · 10-30-2012, 03:33 AM

Can this sort of nonsense be kept off the Debian forum? The newbies or Ubuntu forum would be better for this.

Evo2.