[PATCHSET 2/2] xfsprogs: enable metadir by default

[PATCHSET 2/2] xfsprogs: enable metadir by default

[Darrick J. Wong]

Hi all,

Metadata directory trees were added to the codebase two years ago, and
we dropped the EXPERIMENTAL tag almost a year ago.  We haven't gotten
any serious complaints about it in that year, so let's turn it on by
default.

If you're going to start using this code, I strongly recommend pulling
from my git trees, which are linked below.

With a bit of luck, this should all go splendidly.
Comments and questions are, as always, welcome.

--D

xfsprogs git tree:
https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/djwong/xfsprogs-dev.git/log/?h=enable-metadir
---
Commits in this patchset:
 * mkfs: add config file for the 2026 LTS kernel
 * mkfs: enable metadata directory trees by default
---
 man/man8/mkfs.xfs.8.in |    6 +++++-
 mkfs/Makefile          |    3 ++-
 mkfs/lts_7.3.conf      |   29 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 mkfs/xfs_mkfs.c        |    1 +
 4 files changed, 37 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 mkfs/lts_7.3.conf

[PATCH 1/2] mkfs: add config file for the 2026 LTS kernel

[Darrick J. Wong]

From: Darrick J. Wong <djwong@kernel.org>

Add a config file for 7.3 since it'll be the LTS.

Signed-off-by: "Darrick J. Wong" <djwong@kernel.org>
---
 mkfs/Makefile     |    3 ++-
 mkfs/lts_7.3.conf |   29 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 31 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
 create mode 100644 mkfs/lts_7.3.conf


diff --git a/mkfs/Makefile b/mkfs/Makefile
index 16793bdb1e03e3..b2d99e620c78c4 100644
--- a/mkfs/Makefile
+++ b/mkfs/Makefile
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ CFGFILES = \
 	lts_6.1.conf \
 	lts_6.6.conf \
 	lts_6.12.conf \
-	lts_6.18.conf
+	lts_6.18.conf \
+	lts_7.3.conf
 
 LLDLIBS += $(LIBXFS) $(LIBXCMD) $(LIBFROG) $(LIBRT) $(LIBBLKID) \
 	$(LIBUUID) $(LIBINIH) $(LIBURCU) $(LIBPTHREAD)
diff --git a/mkfs/lts_7.3.conf b/mkfs/lts_7.3.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..16d1c40e8f8a88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mkfs/lts_7.3.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# V5 features that were the mkfs defaults when the upstream Linux 7.3 LTS
+# kernel was released at the end of 2026.
+[block]
+
+[metadata]
+crc=1
+finobt=1
+rmapbt=1
+reflink=1
+inobtcount=1
+bigtime=1
+metadir=0
+autofsck=repair
+
+[data]
+
+[inode]
+sparse=1
+nrext64=1
+exchange=1
+
+[log]
+
+[naming]
+parent=1
+ftype=1
+version=2
+
+[realtime]

[PATCH 2/2] mkfs: enable metadata directory trees by default

[Darrick J. Wong]

From: Darrick J. Wong <djwong@kernel.org>

Metadata directory trees were added to XFS in Linux 6.13 at the end of
2024.  It's now been two years and we haven't found any significant
problems, so enable it by default.  Sysadmins will now be able to have
persistent quota options instead of having to encode that in fstab.

Signed-off-by: "Darrick J. Wong" <djwong@kernel.org>
---
 man/man8/mkfs.xfs.8.in |    6 +++++-
 mkfs/lts_7.3.conf      |    2 +-
 mkfs/xfs_mkfs.c        |    1 +
 3 files changed, 7 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)


diff --git a/man/man8/mkfs.xfs.8.in b/man/man8/mkfs.xfs.8.in
index 927cd075bf8a5d..ed5b0b45149dd1 100644
--- a/man/man8/mkfs.xfs.8.in
+++ b/man/man8/mkfs.xfs.8.in
@@ -303,10 +303,14 @@ .SH OPTIONS
 .TP
 .BI metadir= value
 This option creates an internal directory tree to store filesystem metadata.
+The value is either 0 to disable the feature, or 1 to create the internal
+directory tree.
+If enabled, quota mount options are persisted across mounts without the need
+for respecifying them.
 .IP
 By default,
 .B mkfs.xfs
-will not enable this feature.
+will enable this feature.
 If the option
 .B \-m crc=0
 is used, the metadata directory feature is not supported and is disabled.
diff --git a/mkfs/lts_7.3.conf b/mkfs/lts_7.3.conf
index 16d1c40e8f8a88..13a2bd33c99068 100644
--- a/mkfs/lts_7.3.conf
+++ b/mkfs/lts_7.3.conf
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 reflink=1
 inobtcount=1
 bigtime=1
-metadir=0
+metadir=1
 autofsck=repair
 
 [data]
diff --git a/mkfs/xfs_mkfs.c b/mkfs/xfs_mkfs.c
index aa87951db0d041..ffc4ab9746c80a 100644
--- a/mkfs/xfs_mkfs.c
+++ b/mkfs/xfs_mkfs.c
@@ -6147,6 +6147,7 @@ main(
 			.bigtime = true,
 			.nrext64 = true,
 			.exchrange = true,
+			.metadir = true,
 			/*
 			 * When we decide to enable a new feature by default,
 			 * please remember to update the mkfs conf files.

Re: [PATCH 1/2] mkfs: add config file for the 2026 LTS kernel

[Christoph Hellwig]

On Sun, Sep 20, 2026 at 11:14:43PM -0700, Darrick J. Wong wrote:
> From: Darrick J. Wong <djwong@kernel.org>
> 
> Add a config file for 7.3 since it'll be the LTS.

I wonder if they are going to move it given that 7.4 should land
just after new years?  So maybe wait a bit with this, even if it
does look fine.

Re: [PATCH 1/2] mkfs: add config file for the 2026 LTS kernel

[Darrick J. Wong]

On Mon, Sep 21, 2026 at 01:31:12AM -0700, Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> On Sun, Sep 20, 2026 at 11:14:43PM -0700, Darrick J. Wong wrote:
> > From: Darrick J. Wong <djwong@kernel.org>
> > 
> > Add a config file for 7.3 since it'll be the LTS.
> 
> I wonder if they are going to move it given that 7.4 should land
> just after new years?  So maybe wait a bit with this, even if it
> does look fine.

I dunno.  From dhansen's PHB predictor:

the v7.3 kernel predictions: merge window closes on Sunday, 2026-08-30 and release on Sunday, 2026-10-25
the v7.4 kernel predictions: merge window closes on Sunday, 2026-11-08 and release on Sunday, 2027-01-03

Either someone should ask gregkh, or we should send a flood of bugfixes
to slow down 7.3. ;)

--D