Re: libparted trashes reiserfs and enjoys it!

[Sven Luther]

On Fri, Nov 25, 2005 at 09:27:16AM +0000, Sam Liddicott wrote:
> Sven Luther wrote:
> 
> >On Fri, Nov 25, 2005 at 01:58:21AM +0000, Sam Liddicott wrote:
> > 
> >
> >>Please don't use progreiserfs/libparted even though 
> >>http://www.gnu.org/software/parted/ says it comes from namesys.com
> >>
> >>I've just been talking to Hans Reiser and all after loosing a load of 
> >>data using qtparted who pointed out that it is NOT written by them and 
> >>is buggy as hell. (Enough to lose my data anyway). They are pulling it 
> >>off their ftp site to avoid misleading people, but can I respectifully 
> >>suggest you shell out to resize_reiserfs to do the dirty work of resizing.
> >>   
> >>
> >
> >Well, reiserfs has been known for eating filesystems for breakfast, as 
> >long as
> >i can remember, just don't use it.
> > 
> >
> How long is your memory? Does it still eat filesystems for breakfast? 
> libparted certainly does!
> Do you feel comfortable transferring your revulsion to reiserfs (which I 
> find to be ok) to libparted which is most certainly not?

Well, i am on powerpc, and it may be different there. Also, i have had to do
user support for people having lost their filesystem to reiserfs, without even
libparted being involved, and telling them there is no way to recover their
data is no fun, so yes, i feel confortable by saying that reiserfs, altough
nice back in the days, should be avoided if you value your data.

And note that debian disables reiserfs support in his libparted packages.

> >Now, code is welcome to use reiserfsprog library and reimplement the 
> >reiserfs
> >resizing support in libparted, but nobody seems to care enough about 
> >reiserfs
> >to actually provide code.
> > 
> >
> If I provide the code that causes libparted to shell to resize_reiserfs 
> instead of used the "guarnteed to hose your data" "3rd party and 
> unmaintained" progreiserfs is it like to be accepted?

Well, the right fix is to use the official reiserfs library (not sure which as
having a reiserfsprog and progreiserfs lib is kind of stupid and confusing),
and have the reiserfs libparted hooks make use of the lib. If what you are
telling me is that only resize_reiserfs is usable, and that they can't provide
a lib having this functionality in a sane way, then one more reason to stay
away from it. In any case we saw now patch (at least i remember none) from the
reiserfs people about this.

> >Please search the mailing list archive for past threads on the subject.
> >
> >Friendly,
> > 
> >
> Will do, thanks,
> 
> can we at least remove reiserfs support from libparted in the mean time?
> 
> there is no virtue in shipping dangerous code just because some people 
> think namesys also ship dangerous code.
> 
> It's hardly a favour to trash my data "because reiserfs would have 
> trashed it sooner or later anyway"

Sure, provide a patch ...

Friendly,

Sven Luther