Re: rsync to ext2 filesystem issues

[x85729201kza <x85729201kza%outlook.com@localhost>]

On 7/09/2026 3:53 pm, Ramiro Aceves wrote:
> Thanks so much for your comments regarding this subject.
>
> I have fsck the ext2  filesystem using Linux and repeated the rsync.
> Now rsync stopped into another file among the Mozilla firefox
> directory that owns trillions of files.
>
> I noticed that when I fixed the filesystem with  fsck under Linux it
> output the following  "Invalid HTREE directory" message:

HTREE, according to netbsd, is a hashing in ext2 to speed up searches.
https://github.com/NetBSD/src/blob/55e8a8a44d9e70b9589a9baec5b637d22673df06/sys/ufs/ext2fs/ext2fs_hash.c#L240


> sep 06 11:47:53 debian-nuc8i7 systemd-fsck[1293]: /dev/sdb1: Invalid
> HTREE directory inode 38723585
> (/COPIA_NETBSD_8I7/home/ramiro/.mozilla/firefox/527cpmj0.default-default-2/storage/permanent/chrome/idb/3870112724rsegmnoittet-es.files)

Jeez, is that systemd now running file I/O as well. Magnificent bloatware there...


> Do you think it is  a bug in NetBSD ext2 filesystem implementation? I
> am a total ignorant in this subject, just in case clue persons can
> extract information from this finding.


Yes, me too. However, I think your overall challenge is this: ffs is fast has proper buffer lock handling/optimizations, rsync creates a ton of file I/O per second (metadata etc), NetBSD's implementation of the VFS called ext2 cannot handle this.

> Anyway, I have excluded from the rsync backup all the offending files
> and it seems to finish just fine. All those files are not important
> for my backup.

Have you perhaps looked at another file system? ext4 can be run using fuse-ext2. That's far more robust than antique ext2. Geez, maybe even fat32 could be better? Why not try a small partition or another disk if you have spare and test them out?

Cheers

> Not a fix, a workaround but if it works....
>
> Regards.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> El dom, 6 sept 2026 a las 0:26, beaker (<beaker%sdf.org@localhost>) escribió:
> > Ramiro Aceves <ea1abz%gmail.com@localhost> wrote:
> >
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > I have an external USB hard disk partitioned with ext2 filesystem
> > > (/dev/sd0e mounted in /mnt/datos for file sharing between NetBSD and
> > > Linux) and I have had recurrent problems when rsync-ing files from the
> > > NetBSD  FFS filesystem to the EXT2 filesystem.
> > <snip
> > > After killing rsync commands I cannot umount sd0e partition. It normally
> > > ends in having to fsck the partition in the next reboot (about 1 hour of
> > > fsck)
> > >
> > > Why does it stop and stay for ever? Is it a problem with rsync command?
> > > or is it a problem with ext2 filesystem?
> >
> > I don't have an answer for you other than to say I've also had system hangs
> > when trying to rsync *from* an ext2 partition mounted on NetBSD.  I generally
> > make use of the 'log' mount option so no long fscking needed.  I regularly
> > run rsync from NetBSD (FFS) -> Linux (BTRFS) without issue.  In my case the
> > ext2 filesystem is a common area for a dual-boot machine (NetBSD & Debian)
> > so I just do the rsync with the ext2 mounted on Debian.
> >
> > I recall a past related thread regarding use of ext2 on NetBSD and I believe
> > the advice was to create said ext2 filesystem using newfs_ext2fs(8) instead
> > of from within Linux.  I see there is a fsck_ext2fs(8) which you might want
> > to run to see if there's any issues with your setup.
> >
> > -B