Syslinux - Aug 2008 - ext2/ext3 256 bytes inode problem

Hello,

seems like the new default ext2/ext3 256 bytes inode size problem
applies to extlinux.

HPA, could you confirm it?

http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=491076

http://e2fsprogs.sourceforge.net/e2fsprogs-release.html
E2fsprogs 1.40.5 (January 27, 2008)
"Mke2fs will now create new filesystems with 256 byte inodes and the
ext_attr feature flag by default. This allows for much better future
compatibity with ext4 and speeds up extended attributes even on ext3
filesystems."

Gabor Z. Papp wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> seems like the new default ext2/ext3 256 bytes inode size problem
> applies to extlinux.
> 
> HPA, could you confirm it?
> 
> http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=491076
> 
> http://e2fsprogs.sourceforge.net/e2fsprogs-release.html
> E2fsprogs 1.40.5 (January 27, 2008)
> "Mke2fs will now create new filesystems with 256 byte inodes and the
> ext_attr feature flag by default. This allows for much better future
> compatibity with ext4 and speeds up extended attributes even on ext3
filesystems."
> 
EXTLINUX has handled arbitrary inode sizes(*) from the start.  It is not 
affected.

	-hpa


(*) Disclaimer: I haven't actually tested non-power-of-2 sizes or inode 
size > block size.

* "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa at zytor.com>:

| EXTLINUX has handled arbitrary inode sizes(*) from the start.  It is not 
| affected.

Well, seems like I can reproduce the problem with the new
mke2fs. extlinux installs fine, but booting does not works. Running
3.6x works, and the patched grub also.

How to help to debug?

Gabor Z. Papp wrote:
> * "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa at zytor.com>:
> 
> | EXTLINUX has handled arbitrary inode sizes(*) from the start.  It is not 
> | affected.
> 
> Well, seems like I can reproduce the problem with the new
> mke2fs. extlinux installs fine, but booting does not works. Running
> 3.6x works, and the patched grub also.
> 
> How to help to debug?
> 
Could you send me a failing image?

	-hpa

* "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa at zytor.com>:

| Could you send me a failing image?

For extlinux?

Gabor Z. Papp wrote:
> * "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa at zytor.com>:
> 
> | Could you send me a failing image?
> 
> For extlinux?
> 
Yes.  Something that can be booted in Bochs/Qemu.

	-hpa