Linux - General This Linux forum is for general Linux questions and discussion.
If it is Linux Related and doesn't seem to fit in any other forum then this is the place. |
Notices |
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
Are you new to LinuxQuestions.org? Visit the following links:
Site Howto |
Site FAQ |
Sitemap |
Register Now
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
|
 |
04-13-2008, 12:50 PM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Registered: Jun 2004
Distribution: Arch, Debian, Slack
Posts: 1,016
Rep:
|
new filesystem: convert, or move data?
I have about 40GB of data on a partition I want to convert to XFS. would it be faster/safer to move or copy all the data first, and then just make the new filesystem (and then copy it all back, of course), or convert it with all the data still on there? are there any good tutorials for converting ext3 to XFS? I saw something in a gentoo wiki, but I think they recommended not converting but doing it more traditionally (umounting, making new fs, etc.)
|
|
|
04-13-2008, 01:24 PM
|
#2
|
Member
Registered: Jan 2002
Location: Germany
Distribution: Kubuntu
Posts: 444
Rep:
|
irrespective of converting or recopying you are always advised of backup. So I would better do a backup and then copy it once again.
try using rsync or tar for the transfer to preserve file permissions/dates...
|
|
|
04-13-2008, 01:41 PM
|
#3
|
LQ Guru
Registered: Oct 2005
Location: $RANDOM
Distribution: slackware64
Posts: 12,928
|
Um, well, I don't know of a way to 'convert' filesystems, usually the formatting process involves the loss of all files on the partition being formatted.
|
|
|
04-13-2008, 02:12 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Registered: Jun 2004
Distribution: Arch, Debian, Slack
Posts: 1,016
Original Poster
Rep:
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H
Um, well, I don't know of a way to 'convert' filesystems, usually the formatting process involves the loss of all files on the partition being formatted.
|
you convert with convertfs:
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Convert_Filesystems
not sure how stable or safe it is, though. as you can see, gentoo lists some bugs and caveats to the process, and they've taken it out of their repos.
So after reading that again, I think I'll just backup/copy and reformat normally. thanks.
|
|
|
04-13-2008, 02:57 PM
|
#5
|
LQ Guru
Registered: Oct 2005
Location: $RANDOM
Distribution: slackware64
Posts: 12,928
|
Ahh, I see, it's a special algorithm, well certainly you should follow their advice:
Quote:
This can cause corrupt filesystems. Always backup your data.
There are some reports of severe data corruption - be warned
|
Add to that 'Have a nice day  '
|
|
|
04-13-2008, 03:35 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Registered: Jun 2004
Distribution: Arch, Debian, Slack
Posts: 1,016
Original Poster
Rep:
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H
Ahh, I see, it's a special algorithm, well certainly you should follow their advice:
Add to that 'Have a nice day  '
|
exactly.
anyway, I just copied the data and converted the partition. I didn't time it, but I think it took about an hour or hour and a half. now i just have to copy the data back. tried and true -- the best method. 
|
|
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:40 PM.
|
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.
|
Latest Threads
LQ News
|
|