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)

diff --git a/misc/ChangeLog b/misc/ChangeLog
index 736eead..0b32949 100644 (file)
--- a/misc/ChangeLog
+++ b/misc/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+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

diff --git a/misc/tune2fs.8.in b/misc/tune2fs.8.in
index f53fe15..fedbbdd 100644 (file)
--- a/misc/tune2fs.8.in
+++ b/misc/tune2fs.8.in
@@ -186,6 +186,33 @@ option is not specified, the default journal parameters will be used to create
 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