Arch Linux

This is really patching for features and not patching for problems. Big -1 from me. I don't see what this helps in easing the transition from ext3 to ext4?

Ext3 partitions created with the mke2fs.conf in the Archlinux package will be created with inode_size 128 http://repos.archlinux.org/viewvc.cgi/e2fsprogs/repos/core-x86_64/mke2fs.conf?view=markup . That means when ext4 is stable and the default they will have to reformat their partitions cause as man mke2fs says:
" -i bytes-per-inode
Specify the bytes/inode ratio. mke2fs creates an inode for every bytes-per-inode bytes of space on the disk. The larger the bytes-per-inode ratio, the fewer inodes will be created. This value generally shouldn't be smaller than the blocksize of the filesystem, since then too many inodes will be made. Be warned that is not possible to expand the number of inodes on a filesystem after it is created, so be careful deciding the correct value for this parameter."

Well, i dont like the patching either but the other solution would be to replace grub with grub2. Or go with lilo which has no problem with it.

This was discussed back in February on arch-dev-public.
I recommend you read the whole threads, but I will post some important mails :
first thread:
http://www.archlinux.org/pipermail/arch-dev-public/2008-February/004709.html
http://www.archlinux.org/pipermail/arch-dev-public/2008-February/004747.html
http://www.archlinux.org/pipermail/arch-dev-public/2008-February/004753.html
http://www.archlinux.org/pipermail/arch-dev-public/2008-February/004727.html

second thread (signoff):
http://www.archlinux.org/pipermail/arch-dev-public/2008-February/004768.html

Thanks very much Xavier.
brain0 mentions:
Adding the patch to grub is a good thing, however: Default inode size of 256 will result in:
- Incompatibility to older distributions
- Incompatibility to live CDs
- Incompatibility to grub versions not coming from Arch
- Incompatibility to filesystem drivers for other operating systems

What happens then when ext4 is the default? 1,2 & probably 4 will still be valid for quite a long time. The way Archlinux works, as a rolling release distro, install once and never again, when will changes like this be incorporated? They have to at some point..
It reminds me  FS#10910  and especially Pierre's answer in a way.

I am a bit confused by this bug report. What do you mean by the ext4 transition?
ext3 has been the "default" filesystem for years (I think it is the most widely used one, and the most often used by default by distrib), and yet ext2 is still around and perfectly working. Isn't it the same with ext4?
Also some people still prefer using ext2 in some circumstances where they don't need the overhead of journaling.

In my opinion, there is no transition to consider here. People who wants to switch filesystem are free to reinstall, or to backup and reformat.
And users open to the future which don't care about backward compatibility are also free to use 256 inode_size anyway.
I don't know but it looks like making that change would do more harm than good.

Finally, I don't understand Pierre's answer in  FS#10910 

I mean that users should be able to convert their ext3 partitions to ext4 when time comes.
The only thing that's gonna prevent em from doing so is the 128 inode_size.
Anywway none of the developers i assigned it to bothered to response and since this has already been discussed at the mailing list i guess their minds are made up.
Feel free to close this if you have nothing more to add.

+1 Developers
+1 Xavier

This is a bootloader problem, not a filesystem problem. If someone wants to convert their existing filesystem to ext4, that's their business and their problem. Changing the defaults of two different filesystems because a new one uses a different default? How does that even make sense?

Reviewing bugs with my name on them, and this one is confusing. The upstream mke2fs.conf that we are now shipping shows inode_size = 256 in the [defaults] section, so can I mark this as fixed? If so, what has happened to the concerns raised above about setting the default at 256?