ex2fs finds partitions but shows no files there

[markgo]

I was using ex2fs plugin for some years on different computers and this is the second time I observe this issue.
I have dual boot machine with WinXP and openSuSE 11.1. WinXP installed in 2 primary partitions (disks c: and d: under Win). Extended partition covers the rest of the disk and there are 3 logical devices: Linux swap partition and 2 ext3 partitions.
ex2fs 1.4 shows me both linux partitions as hda6 and hda7, but shows no files at all on either of them.
Other machine has very similar partitioning, but uses ReiserFS instead and on that machine I have no problems seeing the linux files.
I tried explore2fs and got the same effect.

Any idea how to investigate the problem?

This is debugging info from explore2fs (not sure how useful it is):

Explore2fs version 1.08 beta 9 with Unicode and LVM2 support
Written by John Newbigin jn@it.swin.edu.au
You have debug set to high. Your debug log will now record
lots of debug info. If you think you have found a bug, send
the debug log and a description of the bug to jn@it.swin.edu.au

New file permissions is 0x1A4
Windows NT 5.1 build number 2600 Service Pack 2 (2)
Looking for Linux Partitions
Using NT_Scan (NT Native IO)
Native DIR found \Device\CdRom0
Looking at \Device\Harddisk0\Partition0
Doing test read at0
Test read was a success
Checking for EXT at 0
Magic is not EXT
Checking for ReiserFS at 0
No ReiserFS Magic found
Checking for LVM2
LVM2 Seek result is 512
LVM2 Read 512 bytes

Magic is not LVM2
Looking at \Device\Harddisk0\Partition1
Looking at \Device\Harddisk0\Partition2
Looking at \Device\Harddisk0\Partition3
Doing test read at0
Test read was a success
Checking for EXT at 0
Magic is not EXT
Checking for ReiserFS at 0
No ReiserFS Magic found
Checking for LVM2
LVM2 Seek result is 512
LVM2 Read 512 bytes
Magic = '
Magic is not LVM2
Looking at \Device\Harddisk0\Partition4
Doing test read at0
Test read was a success
Checking for EXT at 0
\Device\Harddisk0\Partition4
EXT2 Found. magic = 0xEF53
UID = 8143A4C31183430A9B691F332198C45D
Looking at \Device\Harddisk0\Partition5
Doing test read at0
Test read was a success
Checking for EXT at 0
\Device\Harddisk0\Partition5
EXT2 Found. magic = 0xEF53
UID = A1F20B4690F64FEC9C804AF5AC333DE9
Device scan done
No LVM2 detected
Found 2 ext2/ext3 partitions
Creating BlockDevice
Creating NTDisk
Reading sector 2 count = 2
Found Valid Superblock
4k block size
Inodes count : 1463504
Blocks count : 5853676
Reserved blocks count : 292683
Free blocks count : 5262619
Free inodes count : 1458413
First Data Block : 0
Block size : 2
# Blocks per group : 32768
# Fragments per group : 32768
# Inodes per group : 8176
Mount time : 1236109219
Write time : 1236109824
Mount count : 19
Maximal mount count : -1
File system state : 1
Behaviour when detecting errors : 1
time of last check : 1235751215
max. time between checks : 0
OS : 0
Revision level : 1
uid for reserved blks : 0
gid for reserved blks : 0
First non-res inode : 11
Size of inode : 256
Blockgroup no : 0
Compatible features : 0000003C
Incompatible features : 00000002
: EXT2_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_FILETYPE
Read only features : 00000003
: EXT2_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_SPARSE_SUPER
: EXT2_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_LARGE_FILE
uuid : A1F20B4690F64FEC9C804AF5AC333DE9
Volume name :
Last mounted :
Compression algorithm : 00000000
No blocks to prealloc : 0
No for dirs : 0
Revision 1. This should be OK.
179 groups of 32768 blocks
Descriptors take 2 blocks
GetBlock 1 len 2
block 1 starts at sector no 8
Reading sector 8 count = 16
Block bitmap 1 blocks
inode bitmap 1 blocks
inode table 256 blocks
The BlockHeadSize is 258
LockBlockGroup 1
GetBlock 1025 len 258
block 1025 starts at sector no 8200
Reading sector 8200 count = 2064
INode mode : 0000
INode size : 0
dir acl (size hi) : 0
INode uid : 0
INode gid : 0
access time : 0
creation time : 0
modification time : 0
delection time : 0
link count : 0
blocks : 0
flags : 00000000
direct blocks : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
indirect : 0
double indirect : 0
tripple indirect : 0
UnLockBlockGroup 1
Creating BlockDevice
Creating NTDisk
Reading sector 2 count = 2
Found Valid Superblock
4k block size
Inodes count : 1310720
Blocks count : 5241198
Reserved blocks count : 262059
Free blocks count : 3998769
Free inodes count : 1099036
First Data Block : 0
Block size : 2
# Blocks per group : 32768
# Fragments per group : 32768
# Inodes per group : 8192
Mount time : 1236116412
Write time : 1236109825
Mount count : 19
Maximal mount count : -1
File system state : 1
Behaviour when detecting errors : 1
time of last check : 1235751200
max. time between checks : 0
OS : 0
Revision level : 1
uid for reserved blks : 0
gid for reserved blks : 0
First non-res inode : 11
Size of inode : 256
Blockgroup no : 0
Compatible features : 0000003C
Incompatible features : 00000002
: EXT2_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_FILETYPE
Read only features : 00000003
: EXT2_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_SPARSE_SUPER
: EXT2_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_LARGE_FILE
uuid : 8143A4C31183430A9B691F332198C45D
Volume name :
Last mounted :
Compression algorithm : 00000000
No blocks to prealloc : 0
No for dirs : 0
Revision 1. This should be OK.
160 groups of 32768 blocks
Descriptors take 2 blocks
GetBlock 1 len 2
block 1 starts at sector no 8
Reading sector 8 count = 16
Block bitmap 1 blocks
inode bitmap 1 blocks
inode table 256 blocks
The BlockHeadSize is 258
LockBlockGroup 1
GetBlock 1025 len 258
block 1025 starts at sector no 8200
Reading sector 8200 count = 2064
INode mode : 0000
INode size : 0
dir acl (size hi) : 0
INode uid : 0
INode gid : 0
access time : 0
creation time : 0
modification time : 0
delection time : 0
link count : 0
blocks : 0
flags : 00000000
direct blocks : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
indirect : 0
double indirect : 0
tripple indirect : 0
UnLockBlockGroup 1
UnLockBlockGroup 1

TIA

[Giovanni]

I has a similar problem a while back, it was my antivirus program intercepting the plugin access.

[theosdikaios]

Size of inode : 256

That is the cause. One year ago this problem popped up that all implementations except Linux kernel since v2.4.xx cannot handle this incompatible extension of ext3 file system. There is no solution except to update the tools or not to format ext3 with this inode size.
BTW: An unpatched Grub v0.97 has exact the same problem: it is not able to boot linux from such ext3 partition.

[tbeu]

Size of inode : 256

That is the cause.

Thank you for solution. I experienced the same behaviour with both my ext3 partitions.

[markgo]

That is the cause. One year ago this problem popped up that all implementations except Linux kernel since v2.4.xx cannot handle this incompatible extension of ext3 file system. There is no solution except to update the tools or not to format ext3 with this inode size.

Thanks a lot for explanation. I'll see what I can do: either revert to Reiser on this machine or chose different inode size.

[ghisler(Author)]

Does anyone know how to format a partition with inode size of 256, e.g. from Ubuntu or Xandros? I would like to modify the plugin to support it, but I need an actual file system for testing purposes...

[djek]

Does anyone know how to format a partition with inode size of 256, e.g. from Ubuntu or Xandros? I would like to modify the plugin to support it, but I need an actual file system for testing purposes...

from the mke2fs.ext2 man page (debian):

-I inode-size
Specify the size of each inode in bytes.
mke2fs creates 256-byte inodes by default. In kernels after 2.6.10 and some earlier vendor kernels it is possible to utilize inodes larger than 128 bytes to store extended attributes for improved performance. The inode-size value must be a power of 2 larger or equal to 128. The larger the inode-size the more space the inode table will consume, and this reduces the usable space in the filesystem and can also negatively impact performance.
Extended attributes stored in large inodes are not visible with older kernels, and such filesystems will not be mountable with 2.4 kernels at all. It is not possible to change this value after the filesystem is created.

[theosdikaios]

Does anyone know how to format a partition with inode size of 256

A simple way is using Ubuntu 8.1 or later and create a new ext3 partition. Ubuntu creates since v8.1 256 byte inodes by default.

[ghisler(Author)]

2djek
Thanks for the hint! I used gparted now to create two partitions on an SD-Card, and then used mke2fs to create one with inode size 128, and one with inode size 256. Only a small change was necessary to make the plugin work. Please get it here:
Plugin: https://plugins.ghisler.com/beta/ex2fs.zip
Source: https://plugins.ghisler.com/beta/ex2fs_src.zip

Please let me know whether it works for you or not, so I can put it on my homepage.

[norfie²]

It works fine here with ext3 file systems created with OpenSuSE v11.1. Thanks.

[theosdikaios]

It works fine here.

OT: How can be configured a detect string of lister plugin to use a lister plugin for folders only? Background: unix files are often without an extension like Windows folders. TIA.

[tbeu]

It works fine here with ext3 file systems created with OpenSuSE v11.1. Thanks.

Confirmed. Thank you, too.

[Sombra]

Please let me know whether it works for you or not,...

Works fine here too (Mandriva one 2009, ext3 68 Gb)
Thanks!

[ghisler(Author)]

Nice to hear that! I will put it on my addons page then.