reiser4progs-1.0.3 : superblock backups

reiser4progs-1.0.3 : superblock backups

[lJoublanc]

Regarding the new release of reiser4progs: 

it's unclear to me from the release announcement whether prevoius versions 
of reiser4progs correctly backup superblocks or not. You imply it's been 
corrected - so it wasn't working before? 

i.e. if I had previously used libaal 1.0.2, and my superblock got corrupted, 
could I rebuild it from teh backup if upgarded to 1.0.3? 

I'm asking because recently that's exactly what happened to me. My disc is 
failing due to hardware level problems, the superblock is wrecked, it won't 
mount, and I need to recover my stuff! 

In a final rescue effort, I've updated to 1.0.3, but if I run fsck.reiser4 
 --build-sb, I get: 

[...]
Warn : A new master superblock is created on '/dev/hdd1'.
Enter the key plugin name [key_large]:
Error: Can't read bitmap block 18. Input/output error.
Error: Can't load ondisk bitmap.
Error: Can't initialize block allocator.
Fatal: Failed to open the block allocator. 


Can anyone tell me what it means? Is the problem to do with reiser4 
superblocks or is the disk so buggered it can't write the table anymore? 

Any help is greatly appreciated... 

Luciano 

p.s. shame I'm having these hardware problems, as besides that r4 has worked 
pretty well! 

Re: reiser4progs-1.0.3 : superblock backups

[Vitaly Fertman]

On Wednesday 15 December 2004 21:30, lJoublanc@softhome.net wrote:
> Regarding the new release of reiser4progs:
>
> it's unclear to me from the release announcement whether prevoius versions
> of reiser4progs correctly backup superblocks or not. You imply it's been
> corrected - so it wasn't working before?

blocks were reserved but the content was not correct.

> i.e. if I had previously used libaal 1.0.2, and my superblock got
> corrupted, could I rebuild it from teh backup if upgarded to 1.0.3?

no, backup will not be found. both versions will recover the super block 
in the same way -- 1.0.2 does not take the backup into account at all; 
1.0.3 will not find the backup on your fs -- however 1.0.3 will also fix 
the backup.

> I'm asking because recently that's exactly what happened to me. My disc is
> failing due to hardware level problems, the superblock is wrecked, it won't
> mount, and I need to recover my stuff!
>
> In a final rescue effort, I've updated to 1.0.3, but if I run fsck.reiser4
>  --build-sb, I get:
>
> [...]
> Warn : A new master superblock is created on '/dev/hdd1'.
> Enter the key plugin name [key_large]:
> Error: Can't read bitmap block 18. Input/output error.
> Error: Can't load ondisk bitmap.
> Error: Can't initialize block allocator.
> Fatal: Failed to open the block allocator.

io error on the block # 18 (4k size). 

> Can anyone tell me what it means? Is the problem to do with reiser4
> superblocks or is the disk so buggered it can't write the table anymore?

it looks like the disk problem, look into your syslog for more info.

> Any help is greatly appreciated...
>
> Luciano
>
> p.s. shame I'm having these hardware problems, as besides that r4 has
> worked pretty well!

-- 
Thanks,
Vitaly Fertman