1 Topic by metztli

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Topic: Gparted-derived Reiser4 patch for Debian-Installer's GNU parted

Niltze [Hi], all!

I have been stitching together a Debian-Installer (d-i) which enables a Sid (unstable) Debian distribution to be directly installed into a reiser4-formatted partition:

After finishing partman-reiser4 -- which I perceived to be the last necessary component required to enable installation of Debian into Reiser4, I realized issue was Debian-installer's version of GNU parted: partman.

Reiser4 option in Debian-Installer

Creating a Reiser4 patch for GNU Parted is, at the moment, beyond my scope of time and coding. Since you have provided Reiser4 support for Gparted, I was wondering if there is any interest in contributing a Reiser4 patch for GNU parted.

Judging from the silence in the Debian Installer mailing list, there appears to be no interest on their part. How about from the Gparted dev team?

Thank you.

Best Professional Regard.

2 Reply by gedakc

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Re: Gparted-derived Reiser4 patch for Debian-Installer's GNU parted

It appears that support for Reiser4 is declining, especially in light of improvements in new file systems like ext4, btrfs, etc.  I personally have no plans to put more time into (lib)parted to address any Reiser4 deficiencies.

3 Reply by metztli

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Re: Gparted-derived Reiser4 patch for Debian-Installer's GNU parted

Your input is acknowledged, gedakc, thank you.

On the other hand, Reiser4 continues to be developed:

This is the first release of new software versions of reiser4 kernel module and reiser4progs

Thus, even if it is a couple of individual developers' effort at the moment -- and even if debian team have dragged their feet for a number of years to include a Reiser4 patch for its official kernel -- the potential of Reiser4 as a viable option in Debian may have a fair chance.

Again, thank you for your input.


Best Professional Regards.

4 Reply by mfleetwo

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Re: Gparted-derived Reiser4 patch for Debian-Installer's GNU parted

Reiser4 has never yet got itself included in the Linux kernel.  Still requires patches for distributions which choose to support it.

IMHO reiser4 has missed the boat and file system mind share is with ext4, xfs and btrfs.

Mike

5 Reply by metztli

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Re: Gparted-derived Reiser4 patch for Debian-Installer's GNU parted

I believe Debian is not saying no to Reiser4:

It should be pretty easy to add that to parted, since nowadays the only
filesystem support it has is probing support.  I suggest preparing a
patch against git://git.sv.gnu.org/parted.git master that adds the
ability to detect existing reiser4 partitions and sending it upstream;
it should only be on the order of a hundred lines.

I'd be happy to cherry-pick such a patch into the Debian packaging once
it has been committed upstream.

http://marc.info/?l=reiserfs-devel& … 61&w=2

Please, let me know the contribution amount to GParted project (and/or personal) If any of you is interested in submitting a patch to GNU Parted.


Best Professional Regards.

6 Reply by gedakc

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Re: Gparted-derived Reiser4 patch for Debian-Installer's GNU parted

Hi metztli,

It is not that we do not want enhanced Reiser4 support, it is that we have many more important areas to improve in GParted.  Our focus is on these other areas of GParted and hence we do not plan to spend any additional time developing a Reiser4 patch for (lib)parted.

Curtis

7 Reply by metztli

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Re: Gparted-derived Reiser4 patch for Debian-Installer's GNU parted

I came to the GParted community because I can not think of other experts out there who support reiser4 *and* who have a more intimate knowledge of GNU parted.
I myself have -- at least once -- used GParted due to lack of anything out there that supported moving my Reiser4 root partitions.

Accordingly, if anybody can create a Reiser4 probing support patch for GNU parted -- and in doing so enhance the options available for Reiser4 -- it is you GParted pro's.

Thus, probably my last request:

Does anybody care to prepare the patch?
I think we just need to a read a sector at REISER4_MAGIC_OFFSET
and check the magic string ("ReIsEr4"), see definition of the struct
reiser4_master_sb

Thanks,
Edward.

http://marc.info/?l=reiserfs-devel& … 83&w=2

Apropos, [PATCH] reiser4: port for Linux-4.2" is available.


Best Professional Regards.

P.S. Initial patch does not have to be perfect, we will strive to improve it over subsequent iterations -- as we just need a model

8 Reply by gedakc

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Re: Gparted-derived Reiser4 patch for Debian-Installer's GNU parted

Hi Metztil,

If you are still interested in adding Reiser4 detection to (lib)parted then you might wish to look at this old patch that was submitted to the Parted project way back in December, 2004.

Bug-Parted Mailing List -- Re: reiser4 filesystem detection

Regards,
Curtis

9 Reply by metztli (edited by gedakc 2015-12-15 18:41:05)

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Re: Gparted-derived Reiser4 patch for Debian-Installer's GNU parted

Niltze, Gedakc-

Based on that patch, I modified it against upstream git GNU Parted -- as suggested by a member of the Debian Installer (d-i) team (cited in previous communication). The patch enables the minimum probing by d-i to natively install Reiser4 during installation. I was satisfied and expected my contribution to GNU Parted would be evaluated on technical merit, according to FOSS' mantra.

Notwithstanding, after submitting my modified patch it became clear that, when it comes to Reiser4, the maintainer applied a subjective evaluation procedure -- not a technical one --  http://marc.info/?l=reiserfs-devel& … 03&w=2

EDIT by gedakc:  Unprofessional content removed.

10 Reply by gedakc

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Re: Gparted-derived Reiser4 patch for Debian-Installer's GNU parted

Differences of opinion can and often do arise in the development of Free Software.

Because the code is available and licensed under the GPL, you have the option of forking the code and creating your own version.