Arch Linux

SyXbiT

Member

From: Seattle, WA

Registered: 2008-06-28

Posts: 177

Website

got a GRUB error 17 on boot. HD is corrupted (major bug with ext4)

beware of ext4 guys.
i had my computer crash, and when i hard reset, can't even load stage 1 of grub.
i remember reading just yesterday about the bug here
http://www.h-online.com/open/Possible-d … ews/112821

I'm pretty certain that's the cause.

I've tried booting into live CDs, and mounting, but it doesn't mount (corrupt)
so basically, I lost everything..

great

any ideas?

Zariel

Member

Registered: 2008-10-07

Posts: 446

Re: got a GRUB error 17 on boot. HD is corrupted (major bug with ext4)

fsck?

/e fine

fsck.ext4

Last edited by Zariel (2009-03-12 19:37:27)

Dinth

Member

From: London

Registered: 2009-03-02

Posts: 238

Re: got a GRUB error 17 on boot. HD is corrupted (major bug with ext4)

Developers of ext4 should write on every page/howto about ext4 with LARGE LETTERS, that this filesystem will cause major data loses for sure. Ive converted my ext3 to ext4 after reading few official ext4 documents, and ext4 wiki, and didnt saw anything about even posible data loses. I had suprise, when i was trying to configure my xorg.conf - booting system in single mode, generating xorg.conf, making own changes, remebering them, trying to run xorg, it crashed and from the beginning: booting in single mode, generating xorg.conf from scratch, making own changes from scratch, remembering them, trying to run xorg. Dozen of times.

PS. sorry for my bad english

Last edited by Dinth (2009-03-12 19:39:07)

SyXbiT

Member

From: Seattle, WA

Registered: 2008-06-28

Posts: 177

Website

Re: got a GRUB error 17 on boot. HD is corrupted (major bug with ext4)

so is there a way to run an fsck?
i can't mount it, but if anyone has any advice before i reinstall that would be great?

Zariel

Member

Registered: 2008-10-07

Posts: 446

Re: got a GRUB error 17 on boot. HD is corrupted (major bug with ext4)

boot the installer and run (please check the arguments I dont know any specific ones)

fsck.ext4 /dev/hdd

SyXbiT

Member

From: Seattle, WA

Registered: 2008-06-28

Posts: 177

Website

Re: got a GRUB error 17 on boot. HD is corrupted (major bug with ext4)

thanks
i booted the live CD and ran
fsck.ext4 -y /dev/sda2
and after about 30 mins, It worked!

it was scary though!!!

zebulon

Member

Registered: 2008-10-20

Posts: 357

Re: got a GRUB error 17 on boot. HD is corrupted (major bug with ext4)

beware of ext4 guys.
i had my computer crash, and when i hard reset, can't even load stage 1 of grub.
i remember reading just yesterday about the bug here
http://www.h-online.com/open/Possible-d … ews/112821

I'm pretty certain that's the cause.

I've tried booting into live CDs, and mounting, but it doesn't mount (corrupt)
so basically, I lost everything..

great

any ideas?

Well, the data loss they were referring is related to software (such as KDE) relying on Ext3 commit interval to write files on an Ext4 fs. There is no inherent fault in Ext4, the problem is with the software itself and should be corrected upstream. Now I don't know if Grub has the same issue. If it is so, that's easy to fix. Otherwise, it is more worrying: that means ext4 can lead to corrupted data by other means, which have not been identified yet.

broch

Banned

From: L.A. California

Registered: 2006-11-13

Posts: 975

Re: got a GRUB error 17 on boot. HD is corrupted (major bug with ext4)

what in the above link does not mention is that ext4 basically copied xfs delayed allocation... but not completely, so while xfs does not have any issues with KDE4, ext4 does. Of course it is not ext4 fault (not KDE4, though some patching of KDE4 may help). ext4 is not yet in par with other fs in terms or reliability as it is not so widely tested.In time this will change.
If one reads lkml it is obvious that delayed allocation was/is a headache for ext4.

Last edited by broch (2009-03-13 22:15:49)