FS#19329 - [kernel26-lts] upgrade to some stable kernel with ext4 support when it will become tested enough

Attached to Project: Arch Linux
Opened by Tomas Mudrunka (harvie) - Sunday, 02 May 2010, 17:00 GMT
Last edited by Andreas Radke (AndyRTR) - Monday, 03 May 2010, 03:37 GMT
Task Type Feature Request
Category Packages: Core
Status Closed
Assigned To Andreas Radke (AndyRTR)
Architecture All
Severity Medium
Priority Normal
Reported Version
Due in Version Undecided
Due Date Undecided
Percent Complete 100%
Votes 1
Private No

Details

Description:
I'd like to use LTS kernel on our ArchLinux server (yes, we are running archlinux on server :-), but i also want to have stable ext4 support, so please think about upgrading lts kernel (i know that lts kernel is not meaned to be upgraded) to some version with GOOD and STABLE ext4 support. I think ext4 can take a lot of pain away from harddisks on servers... But LTS kernel sould be selected carefully and should be well tested. And such decision needs some time to do.

Or maybe there is possibility to build package with ext4 module for current LTS kernel package, but i am not sure, how stable such thing can be...


peace
This task depends upon

Closed by  Andreas Radke (AndyRTR)
Monday, 03 May 2010, 03:37 GMT
Reason for closing:  Not a bug
Comment by Ionut Biru (wonder) - Sunday, 02 May 2010, 17:27 GMT
if i remember well the plan was to update to 2.6.32 after kernel26 was updated to 2.6.33.
2.6.32 version is the next long term support upstream
Comment by Andreas Radke (AndyRTR) - Sunday, 02 May 2010, 17:36 GMT
What's wrong with our ext4 support in .27 LTS kernel?

Our currents LTS kernel from 2.6.27 series has stable EXT4 support. Sure the base state is old but received lots of later upstream fixes meanwhile. We renamed ext4dev to ext4 like RedHat does and as far as I know it's stable. Never heard any complains.

Sure we will one day move to a more recent LTS series. But kernel 2.6.32 LTS still needs some upstream love before it's ready.
Comment by Tomas Mudrunka (harvie) - Sunday, 02 May 2010, 17:59 GMT
there are few caveats fixed in each kernel... and if i remember ext4dev and few versions of ext4 had some serious bugs and destroying files in some cases...
Comment by Andreas Radke (AndyRTR) - Sunday, 02 May 2010, 18:10 GMT
all serious bugs have been fixes in the stable release until now. if not ask upstream. you'd better check the minor changelogs ;)
Comment by Tomas Mudrunka (harvie) - Sunday, 02 May 2010, 20:18 GMT
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ext4#Data_Corruption
Some early adopters of ext4 encountered data corruption after a hard reboot. Please read Ext4 data loss; explanations and workarounds for more information.
Since kernel 2.6.30, ext4 is considered "safe(er)."
Comment by Andreas Radke (AndyRTR) - Monday, 03 May 2010, 03:37 GMT
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.27.46 and all the ones before. Check out this one and all the older ones, there are several dozens of ext4 fixes. But it's all your choice. We won't change anything soon. Ext4 is stable in our kernel. But if you think it's not, use a different kernel or a different file system.

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