+2004-09-19 Theodore Ts'o <tytso@mit.edu>
+
+ * tune2fs.8.in: Add a description of the .journal file, why it
+ is created, and how e2fsck converts it to an invisible
+ journal. (Addresses Debian Bug #256760)
+
2004-09-18 Theodore Ts'o <tytso@mit.edu>
* e2initrd_helper.c: New program which allows initrd scripts to
an appropriately sized journal (given the size of the filesystem)
stored within the filesystem. Note that you must be using a kernel
which has ext3 support in order to actually make use of the journal.
+.IP
+If this option is used to create a journal on a mounted filesystem, an
+immutable file,
+.BR .journal ,
+will be created in the top-level directory of the filesystem, as it is
+the only safe way to create the journal inode while the filesystem is
+mounted. While the ext3 journal is visible, it is not safe to
+delete it, or modify it while the filesystem is mounted; for this
+reason the file is marked immutable.
+While checking unmounted filesystems,
+.BR e2fsck (8)
+will automatically move
+.B .journal
+files to the invisible, reserved journal inode. For all filesystems
+except for the root filesystem, this should happen automatically and
+naturally during the next reboot cycle. Since the root filesystem is
+mounted read-only,
+.BR e2fsck (8)
+must be run from a rescue floppy in order to effect this transition.
+.IP
+On some distributions, such as Debian, if an initial ramdisk is used,
+the initrd scripts will automatically convert an ext2 root filesystem
+to ext3 if the
+.BR /etc/fstab
+file specifies the ext3 filesystem for the root filesystem in order to
+avoid requiring the use of a rescue floppy to add an ext3 journal to
+the root filesystem.
.TP
.BR \-J " journal-options"
Override the default ext3 journal parameters. Journal options are comma