changing cluster size = reinstall ?
 

Hello file system experts,

Is it posible to change the cluster sizes in the ext2 file system without losing everything ?

I stupidly chose the consevative middle choice when I installed Slackware. And now harddrive space is getting dangerously low. in looking throug my drive I notice that most files are extremely small anyway so I shot myself in the foot.

Not a major biggie, mostly a loss of time to reinstall and cofigure everything again, but is there another way out ??

Thanks
Dennis

If you have another partition or storeage media, you could simply tar the contents of the partition in question and then reformat it with a different block size.

mke2fs -b 1024 -c /dev/hda2

or whatever your device would be. After reformatting the partition restore the tar archive to the new file system.

space probs
 

Thanks for the above suggestion,

I have decided, I just don't have enough MB of space and that even though redoing the size will "buy me some time"... I just need a bigger drive.

I am a bit behind the times, the drive I have is only a 6.5, and I gave 2 to Linux. now Windows getting a bit cramped too. I thought 2 would be adaquate (sp ?) because only really wanted Windowmaker and some basic apps (like a filemaker and Mozilla) and that's pretty much what I did, except for getting an x-dialing program to dial up the net, and the newer kernel. It was when I tried to compile Wine that I found out 2MB was just not enough with the cluster (block) size I chose.

I am thinking that when I get the new drive, probably just easier to start from scratch, and also give it more meg with the smaller sized clusters as well. I considered tar idea great though !! and I even considered maybe using it with the new drive, but seems like more configuring would also be needed after I got it untarred on the new drive with different hardware.. etc.. and at this base point of my system I think it's just as well I do it over but do it right the next time.

Again thanks !
Dennis