Re: ML9.0:file system completely crashed ext3,"could not find mimetype",kde3.0.3

["Stephen C. Tweedie" <sct redhat com>]

Hi,

On Sun, 2003-02-09 at 12:54, vatbier wrote:
> Mandrake Linux 9.0 here:
> I installed alsa-utils from CD1 with MCC:Software Install:
> in /var/log/syslog these error messages appeared (SEE BELOW):
> 
> "XT3-fs error (device ide0(3,2)): ext3_new_block: Allocating block in 
> system zone - block = 294914"

You've got disk corruption, in a bitmap block.  This is a sign of a
hardware or driver problem, 99% of the time.

> UPDATE: I searched Google for "ext3_new_block: Allocating block in 
> system zone": I found the ext3-user mailing-list and read and learned a bit 
> about file system corruption.
> I tested my memory with memtest86 but no errors were detected, I read
> that this is not conclusive.

Indeed.  How long did you test it for, by the way?  I usually recommend
an overnight run at the very least.

> I probably will reinstall Mandrake Linux 9.0.
> But how can I figure out what has caused the corruption:
> Memory, hard disk, IDE cable, IDE controller, UDMA, CPU, cooling,...?

By eliminating the possibilities one by one and testing; and by looking
very carefully through your log files for any signs that might point to
something specific (such as CRC errors being reported on the disk
controller).

> And how can I best recover from this: reinstall complete distribution and 
> then apply backups? 

It depends on how much has gone and how much is in your backups.

> How can I figure out which files have been modified or 
> disappeared?

"rpm -Va" will check that for static files.  For dynamically-changing
files such as most of those in /etc, that won't help --- so I always
include /etc in my backups.

> I also remember that in the same session KNode newsreader crashed when I 
> tried to read a newsmessage after downloading the headers of 
> alt.os.linux.mandrake. It crashed several times.

> Motherboard MSI K7T266 Pro2 (MS-6380 V2.0): VIA KT266A, VIA VT8233
> 512 MB memory (tested it with memtest86: no errrors detected)
> Western Digital Caviar 40GB 7200RPM: UDMA is enabled I think (see below for 
> info from dmesg)

Check with "hdparm -a" to see whether it has subsequently been disabled
(which might point to controller or cabling problems.)

> Very frustrated after this happened, I thought linux file systems were 
> stable. 

They are stable under most conditions, but they cannot protect against
the hardware actively corrupting valid data.

Cheers,
 Stephen