Precise Pangolin / e4defrag is included in e2fsprogs! : http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1902253
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
Wait, I thought that conventional wisdom said that most Linux users have no need of a defragmentation utility, as ext2/3/4 filesystems are resistant to fragmentation*. Is that no longer true (if it ever was) ?
However, if it was (and is) true, isn't this a solution for a (mostly) non-existent problem?
One last thought - when spinning platters are relegated to the computing history files and we're all using SSDs, won't fragmentation on *any* filesystem be a complete non-issue?
* I understand that the more full a particular physical drive is, the harder it is for the filesystem to avoid fragmentation, which makes sense.sigpic "Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all." -- Douglas Adams -
Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
The common wisdom is right/wrong depending how you look at it. If you look at the drive map a windows defrag utility shows you will understand that while it may be very possible for large portions of data to be non-fragmented but thhey can also be located in the totally wrong place.
Think of the diff it make if some chunks of data are stored closer to the start, middle of the drive versus them being located near the end. If the online defragger addresses the issue of optimally locating some data on the disk for ext4, then I say "hey, it's about time!"
Now all we need is for btrfs to actually become usable so we can get goodies like system snapshots, but I'm young, I can wait...Comment
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
I'm prepared to believe that for certain use-cases (mainly benchmarking, heh) there may be some small gains to be had by doing that, but for typical desktop use, I'm not convinced there would be any perceptible performance improvement.Originally posted by silviucc
Sometime this year I plan to upgrade the drive on which my /root & /swap partitions reside to an SSD, and I'm pretty sure that will make any question of fragmentation & optimal data location entirely irrelevant. Maybe there's some factor that I'm failing to consider that would change my mind on that though - if anyone can think of what that might be, then by all means please let me know.sigpic "Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all." -- Douglas Adams Comment
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
I've been running a dual-disk 2TB btrfs filesystem for over a year now. I just defragged it for the first time a couple weeks ago, but I was disappointed -- the process was over in less than a minute.Originally posted by silviucc
It is true that a btrfs fsck utility has not been released, yet. But my one data point analysis says it is not needed anyway.
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
I just submitted a BTRFS bug requesting a minimum of 30 minutes of NOOP for you. You're welcome.Originally posted by dibl
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
Heh -- Thanks! They can call the new feature "user drama gratification fix".Originally posted by SteveRiley
I just submitted a BTRFS bug requesting a minimum of 30 minutes of NOOP for you. You're welcome.
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
Yay for MS Windows setting the bar so low for the length of time necessary to even analyze your hard drive, let alone the weekend-consuming task of actually defragging it.Originally posted by diblComment
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
It's better in Windows 7... it includes a scheduled task that runs defrag once a week when your computer is idle. When I build a system, I open the task scheduler and alter the default setting so that it'll even wake the computer up if it's asleep.Comment
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
Nice to know. It's a necessary task on Windows. The more automated on can make it, the better.Originally posted by SteveRileyComment
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
It is a necessary task on every filesystem where you shift data in and out. The more data that gets deleted and copied the more the need to defrag will arise.
Please read the following bit on ext3: http://www.h-online.com/open/feature...on-746701.html
I never had to defrag my Windows 7 C: drive because I do not store my data there but on separate partitions and even on different HDDs so I don't get bottlenecked by I/O so much. However I did have to defrag other partitons, like the one I store games on. Once I deleted and installed a new one I made sure to run a defrag on it.
Oh, and by the way, there are free tools that will make de defrag a lot faster and they are free (as in free o charge), like Auslogics Disk Defrag.
Kool-aid is bad for the mind...Comment
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
Good article -- thanks!Originally posted by silviucc
Note that all performance penalties related to "head movement" are not applicable to data or files on a SSD.Comment
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
I was not talking about SSDs, nor is that article...Comment
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Re: Online defragmenter for ext4 filesystem
Right -- but people of all knowledge levels read these forums and try to use the information as guidance for setting up their systems. Lotta people picking up the SSDs now, and they're trying to figure out partition alignment, filesystem selection, etc. etc. -- we need to try to be as clear as possible about such things.
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