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Nick Bartos wrote: <snip> | From what I am reading, everyone just backs up their files and then | reformats & restores the files.
For any two filesystems, it's highly unlikely that you can just convert between the two. I mean, theoretically yes, practically? There's not even funding (I think) for a reiser 3-4 conversion.
| Is there any other way? I have too many and it would be a huge pain to do | that will all of them.
Do backups. Now. You are an idiot and/or a cheapskate if you don't have backups, because one day something will happen -- probably something ridiculously stupid -- and you will need them. I mean, go build a backup server and, if you can afford it, give it something like a terabyte raid5 hotplug array. Do it now.
If you are backing up, I hope I haven't offended you. In such a case, it's highly likely that you can restore your backup even using something like Knoppix. If you can't, go rethink how you're doing your backups.
In fact, I suggest you fit each of them with cd drives or floppy drives (cheap ones are fine) and make a custom boot cd or floppy that restores the backup on boot. This simplifies the process of changing filesystems, and also means you can be back up and running in a hurry.
How similar are these boxes, btw? I bet you can make them all use the same cd for restoring a backup (getting the id of the machine from its mac address). For that matter, you might even set up a net boot server - -- this makes things simpler, as a change to the backup process couldn't possibly require burning a bunch of new cds.
With such a system in place, total time to change filesystems is -- install reiserfsprogs, a reiser-enabled kernel, and slight config changes on the net boot server, then go around and reboot each computer, manually specifying a net boot. Or have a net boot floppy, and put a copy in each computer -- leave it sticking out of the drive when you don't need it, push it in and reboot for new fs. Then sit back and wait.
Now, it will still be a huge pain, but probably worth it. Reiserfs always seemed a lot faster than ext3 to me. Reiser4 seems just as much faster than v3. And full backup + speedy recovery = good always.
This is sent to the list as generic advice for anyone with multiple boxes.
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