Author Topic: [SOLVED] EXT4-fs: mballoc messages when shuting down... Should I worry? [NO] (Read 1501 times)

AndrzejL · « **on:** January 16, 2010, 10:21:58 AM »

Hi all...

I was really trying to figure out the best place to start this topic in... EXT4... PCLinuxOS cannot be installed on this sort of fs... unless You use something else then official iso or upgrade the livecd on the fly (I was using my own updated kde3 remaster) to install this system... PLUS this system was then upgraded to KDE4... Hence I am here. I could start the topic in Advanced Users section BUT I dont think its that complicated... If You are a mod and You think it should be somewhere else PLEASE by any mean do move it there. Thank You.

OK the story goes... Since unknown time (could be a week or a day or last 40 mins coz thats when I started noticing it) I am seeing this sort of messages when rebooting / shutting down.

I had a (recently made - very updated) KDE3 remaster. I used it to install (a week ago or so) KDE3 on the /dev/hda1 partition /home was placed on /dev/hda6 and both formatted to EXT4. SWAP /dev/hda5 512 MB. Then this install was updated to KDE4. All is peachy. No errors. No problems... I have another partition mounted as /media/backup that was EXT3 fs. Today after backing up all my data from /dev/hda7 partition I have formated it (using PCC > Hardware > Local Disks) to EXT4 (so I dont have to worry when the newer kernels are installed and EXT3 will be an old news)

I have never seen it before prolly due to the "Silent" shutdown mode (or maybe it wasnt there till I formatted /dev/hda7 today...). I pressed ESC today to go to verbose mode and check for error messages. There was none. However this message got my attention.

I dont fully understand it so... My questions are: Shoud I worry? Is it just some kind of summary / info? Am I in trouble? If I am how to fix it?

Here is some more details...

Quote

[andrzejl@WISHMACER ~]$ su
Password:
[root@WISHMACER andrzejl]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 2805 22531131 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 2806 9729 55617030 5 Extended
/dev/hda5 2806 2871 530113+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda6 2872 4176 10482381 83 Linux
/dev/hda7 4177 9729 44604441 83 Linux
[root@WISHMACER andrzejl]# cat /etc/fstab
# Entry for /dev/hda1 :
/dev/hda1 / ext4 defaults 1 1
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0
# Entry for /dev/hda6 :
/dev/hda6 /home ext4 defaults 1 2
# Entry for /dev/hda7 :
/dev/hda7 /media/Backup ext4 defaults 1 2
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0
[root@WISHMACER andrzejl]#

Thanks in advance.

Andy

oldschool · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2010, 05:58:51 PM »

Andy,

This is way over my head! Still, I decided to google "mballoc" and see what I could turn up. I found lots of posts concerning kernel bugs and ext4, but I don't know if your situation falls into that category. You probably know a bit about mballoc, but if you don't, the following link is a good starting point:

http://ext2.sourceforge.net/2005-ols/paper-html/node25.html

I'll be interested to hear what you find out.

oldschool

Wildman · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2010, 06:22:35 PM »

This was reported in the Bugzilla section of another OS that I use some. Seems this could be a ext4 recovery problem,
disk full or even a kernel bug....at any rate others are having the same problem.
Maybe that will help some!

Tex might or maybe one of the other developers may answer when/if they get time.

Might have to wait awhile as I'm sure they are quite busy behind the scenes.

Quote

[from a earlier post time]
Robin Laing 2009-03-10 01:23:52 EDT

I don't know if this is relevent but in my /var/log/messages I am getting many
messages like this.

Mar 2 00:42:42 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 blocks 0 reqs (0 success)
Mar 2 00:42:42 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 extents scanned, 0 goal
hits, 0 2^N hits, 0 breaks, 0 lost
Mar 2 00:42:42 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 generated and it took 0
Mar 2 00:42:42 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 preallocated, 0 discarded
Mar 2 00:42:44 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 967814 blocks 14514 reqs (5212
success)
Mar 2 00:42:44 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 10041 extents scanned, 725
goal hits, 9545 2^N hits, 0 breaks, 0 lost
Mar 2 00:42:44 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 1651 generated and it took
137632015
Mar 2 00:42:44 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 475175 preallocated, 238094
discarded
Mar 8 01:45:10 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 2719 blocks 194 reqs (158
success)
Mar 8 01:45:10 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 50 extents scanned, 12 goal
hits, 33 2^N hits, 0 breaks, 0 lost
Mar 8 01:45:10 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 33 generated and it took
659365
Mar 8 01:45:10 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 17218 preallocated, 16158
discarded

Mar 8 04:52:32 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 blocks 0 reqs (0 success)
Mar 8 04:52:32 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 extents scanned, 0 goal
hits, 0 2^N hits, 0 breaks, 0 lost
Mar 8 04:52:32 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 generated and it took 0
Mar 8 04:52:32 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 preallocated, 0 discarded
Mar 8 04:52:35 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 blocks 0 reqs (0 success)
Mar 8 04:52:35 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 extents scanned, 0 goal
hits, 0 2^N hits, 0 breaks, 0 lost
Mar 8 04:52:35 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 generated and it took 0
Mar 8 04:52:35 eagle2 kernel: EXT4-fs: mballoc: 0 preallocated, 0 discarded

This is on F10, i386, fully updated system.

SATA drives. Motherboard SATA controller with updated bios and SATA drivers.

AndrzejL · « **Reply #3 on:** January 16, 2010, 08:13:03 PM »

Thanks for Your replies they are both helpful. I just wish I could understood this stuff better.

I was googling this stuff too and started reading some of the articles... That what got me into this panic mode... Bug? Kernel? EXT4... File system? Recovery problem? I say WHOOPS!

However then... Old-Polack told me not to worry... There are no error messages. No warnings... Just pure information. Since I trust that fella I was kind of more chillaxed about it.

I just need to know am I safe with my data OR not...

Andy

Old-Polack · « **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2010, 08:58:21 PM »

Quote from: AndrzejL on January 16, 2010, 08:13:03 PM

Thanks for Your replies they are both helpful. I just wish I could understood this stuff better.

I was googling this stuff too and started reading some of the articles... That what got me into this panic mode... Bug? Kernel? EXT4... File system? Recovery problem? I say WHOOPS!

However then... Old-Polack told me not to worry... There are no error messages. No warnings... Just pure information. Since I trust that fella I was kind of more chillaxed about it.

I just need to know am I safe with my data OR not...

Andy

I really don't know how safe one's data is on ext4, long term, as it hasn't been around long enough to be tested long term, in general use. I don't have any ext4 partitions yet, but have space reserved for a ext4 partition to hold d/l TV episodes, movies ripped from DVDs, and music files ripped from audio CDs. If there are data storage problems, and anything gets lost, it will be totally replaceable, non critical data. Once ext4 shows itself to be secure and robust, during personal use, I will then place more critical data on it. Until the testing is done, my critical data will remain on ext3 formatted partitions.

oldschool · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2010, 02:24:37 AM »

Andy,

O-P is pretty sharp. I don't think you'll go wrong using his advice. But, just to make the waters a little more murky... Google (also known for having some pretty sharp folks) is busy converting their file systems from ext2 (yes, ext2 -- talk about conservative!) to ext4... That's a pretty strong vote of confidence!

oldschool

AndrzejL · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2010, 04:32:35 AM »

Quote from: old-polack on January 16, 2010, 08:58:21 PM

Quote from: AndrzejL on January 16, 2010, 08:13:03 PM
Thanks for Your replies they are both helpful. I just wish I could understood this stuff better.

I was googling this stuff too and started reading some of the articles... That what got me into this panic mode... Bug? Kernel? EXT4... File system? Recovery problem? I say WHOOPS!

However then... Old-Polack told me not to worry... There are no error messages. No warnings... Just pure information. Since I trust that fella I was kind of more chillaxed about it.

I just need to know am I safe with my data OR not...

Andy

I really don't know how safe one's data is on ext4, long term, as it hasn't been around long enough to be tested long term, in general use. I don't have any ext4 partitions yet, but have space reserved for a ext4 partition to hold d/l TV episodes, movies ripped from DVDs, and music files ripped from audio CDs. If there are data storage problems, and anything gets lost, it will be totally replaceable, non critical data. Once ext4 shows itself to be secure and robust, during personal use, I will then place more critical data on it. Until the testing is done, my critical data will remain on ext3 formatted partitions.

Yeah thats the thing... I think I have rushed it

... But then google moves to EXT4 too right? So if I am a fool then at least I am not alone

!

Feel much better now

.

Andy

Quote from: oldschool on January 17, 2010, 02:24:37 AM

Andy,

O-P is pretty sharp. I don't think you'll go wrong using his advice. But, just to make the waters a little more murky... Google (also known for having some pretty sharp folks) is busy converting their file systems from ext2 (yes, ext2 -- talk about conservative!) to ext4... That's a pretty strong vote of confidence!

oldschool

Exactly

. O-P is pretty sharp. He is Polack

and he is Old

! I will use his advice and not to worry... to much...

Andy

oldschool · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2010, 09:27:18 AM »

Quote from: oldschool on January 17, 2010, 02:24:37 AM

Andy,

O-P is pretty sharp. I don't think you'll go wrong using his advice. But, just to make the waters a little more murky... Google (also known for having some pretty sharp folks) is busy converting their file systems from ext2 (yes, ext2 -- talk about conservative!) to ext4... That's a pretty strong vote of confidence!

oldschool

Exactly . O-P is pretty sharp. He is Polack and he is Old ! I will use his advice and not to worry... to much...

Andy

Andy,

If O-P is sharp for being Polack and Old, what am I considering I'm Old and Schooled (Obviously, no need for positive strokes exists in my personality!)!

oldschool

Wildman · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2010, 01:15:32 PM »

I would expect Goggle has a ext2 backup somewhere in the vast systems they control.
Wouldn't it be funny if we found out Google was actually 2 little ole people in a basement somewhere with 2 antiquated
servers, running Linux?

Sorta like the Snoops husband-wife site we use so much!

Old-Polack · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2010, 01:42:56 PM »

Quote from: Wildman on January 17, 2010, 01:15:32 PM

I would expect Goggle has a ext2 backup somewhere in the vast systems they control.
Wouldn't it be funny if we found out Google was actually 2 little ole people in a basement somewhere with 2 antiquated
servers, running Linux?
Sorta like the Snoops husband-wife site we use so much!

With a hamster wheel connected to a generator for power, with 6 hamsters chained to their task, and a big rat with a whip keeping them running.

Wildman · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2010, 02:23:37 PM »

+1 O-P

AndrzejL · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2010, 02:29:07 PM »

Can we please go back to the original / NON hamster / NON rat / NON BS topic? Thanks

... Bunch of offtopicers! LOL... Like a pack of kids

!

Andy

Wildman · « **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2010, 03:39:21 PM »

Your Question was........"Should I worry?"

The answer is obvious......No!

Now go back to sleep so we can continue to hijack this thread!

Old-Polack · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2010, 04:41:52 PM »

Quote from: Wildman on January 17, 2010, 03:39:21 PM

Your Question was........"Should I worry?"

The answer is obvious......No!

Now go back to sleep so we can continue to hijack this thread!

+1

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