Linux From Scratch - Version 6.4

Chapter 6. Installing Basic System Software

6.17. E2fsprogs-1.41.3

The E2fsprogs package contains the utilities for handling the ext2 file system. It also supports the ext3 journaling file system.

Approximate build time: 0.7 SBU testsuite included
Required disk space: 54 MB testsuite included

6.17.1. Installation of E2fsprogs

Fix a hardcoded path to /bin/rm in E2fsprogs' testsuite: 

sed -i 's@/bin/rm@/tools&@' lib/blkid/test_probe.in

The E2fsprogs documentation recommends that the package be built in a subdirectory of the source tree: 

mkdir -v build
cd build

Prepare E2fsprogs for compilation: 

../configure --prefix=/usr --with-root-prefix="" \
    --enable-elf-shlibs

The meaning of the configure options:

--with-root-prefix=""

Certain programs (such as the e2fsck program) are considered essential programs. When, for example, /usr is not mounted, these programs still need to be available. They belong in directories like /lib and /sbin. If this option is not passed to E2fsprogs' configure, the programs are installed into the /usr directory.

--enable-elf-shlibs

This creates the shared libraries which some programs in this package use.

Compile the package: 

make

To test the results, issue: 

make check

One of the E2fsprogs tests will attempt to allocate 256 MB of memory. If you do not have significantly more RAM than this, it is recommended to enable sufficient swap space for the test. See Section 2.3, “Creating a File System on the Partition” and Section 2.4, “Mounting the New Partition” for details on creating and enabling swap space.

Install the binaries, documentation, and shared libraries: 

make install

Install the static libraries and headers: 

make install-libs

Make the installed static libraries writable so debugging symbols can be removed later. 

chmod -v u+w /usr/lib/{libblkid,libcom_err,libe2p,libext2fs,libss,libuuid}.a

This package installs a gzipped .info file but doesn't update the system-wide dir file. Unzip this file and then update the system dir file using the following commands. 

gunzip -v /usr/share/info/libext2fs.info.gz
install-info --dir-file=/usr/share/info/dir \
             /usr/share/info/libext2fs.info

If desired, create and install some additional documentation by issuing the following commands: 

makeinfo -o      doc/com_err.info ../lib/et/com_err.texinfo
install -v -m644 doc/com_err.info /usr/share/info
install-info --dir-file=/usr/share/info/dir \
             /usr/share/info/com_err.info

install -v -m644 -D ../doc/libblkid.txt \
        /usr/share/doc/e2fsprogs-1.41.3/libblkid.txt

6.17.2. Contents of E2fsprogs

Installed programs: badblocks, blkid, chattr, compile_et, debugfs, dumpe2fs, e2fsck, e2image, e2label, e2undo, filefrag, findfs, fsck, fsck.ext2, fsck.ext3, fsck.ext4, fsck.ext4dev, logsave, lsattr, mk_cmds, mke2fs, mkfs.ext2, mkfs.ext3, fsck.ext4, fsck.ext4dev, mklost+found, resize2fs, tune2fs, uuidd, and uuidgen.
Installed libraries: libblkid.{a,so}, libcom_err.{a,so}, libe2p.{a,so}, libext2fs.{a,so}, libss.{a,so}, and libuuid.{a,so}

Short Descriptions

badblocks

Searches a device (usually a disk partition) for bad blocks

blkid

A command line utility to locate and print block device attributes

chattr

Changes the attributes of files on an ext2 file system; it also changes ext3 file systems, the journaling version of ext2 file systems

compile_et

An error table compiler; it converts a table of error-code names and messages into a C source file suitable for use with the com_err library

debugfs

A file system debugger; it can be used to examine and change the state of an ext2 file system

dumpe2fs

Prints the super block and blocks group information for the file system present on a given device

e2fsck

Is used to check, and optionally repair ext2 file systems and ext3 file systems

e2image

Is used to save critical ext2 file system data to a file

e2label

Displays or changes the file system label on the ext2 file system present on a given device

e2undo

Replays the undo log undo_log for an ext2/ext3/ext4 filesystem found on a device. This can be used to undo a failed operation by an e2fsprogs program.

filefrag

Reports on how badly fragmented a particular file might be

findfs

Finds a file system by label or Universally Unique Identifier (UUID)

fsck

Is used to check, and optionally repair, file systems

fsck.ext2

By default checks ext2 file systems. This is a hard link to fsck.

fsck.ext3

By default checks ext3 file systems. This is a hard link to fsck.

fsck.ext4

By default checks ext4 file systems. This is a hard link to fsck.

fsck.ext4dev

By default checks ext4 development file systems. This is a hard link to fsck.

logsave

Saves the output of a command in a log file

lsattr

Lists the attributes of files on a second extended file system

mk_cmds

Converts a table of command names and help messages into a C source file suitable for use with the libss subsystem library

mke2fs

Creates an ext2 or ext3 file system on the given device

mkfs.ext2

By default creates ext2 file systems. This is a hard link to mke2fs.

mkfs.ext3

By default creates ext3 file systems. This is a hard link to mke2fs.

mkfs.ext4

By default creates ext4 file systems. This is a hard link to mke2fs.

mkfs.ext4dev

By default creates ext4 development file systems. This is a hard link to mke2fs.

mklost+found

Used to create a lost+found directory on an ext2 file system; it pre-allocates disk blocks to this directory to lighten the task of e2fsck

resize2fs

Can be used to enlarge or shrink an ext2 file system

tune2fs

Adjusts tunable file system parameters on an ext2 file system

uuidd

A daemon used by the UUID library to generate time-based UUIDs in a secure and guranteed-unique fashion.

uuidgen

Creates new UUIDs. Each new UUID can reasonably be considered unique among all UUIDs created, on the local system and on other systems, in the past and in the future

libblkid

Contains routines for device identification and token extraction

libcom_err

The common error display routine

libe2p

Used by dumpe2fs, chattr, and lsattr

libext2fs

Contains routines to enable user-level programs to manipulate an ext2 file system

libss

Used by debugfs

libuuid

Contains routines for generating unique identifiers for objects that may be accessible beyond the local system