To add to this: It's relatively simple to expand a filesystem; you're just
adding empty space to the end of it, and telling it that it has this new
space. It doesn't effect any of the existing files or open files being
written.
To reduce a filesystem, you'll likely have to move files out of the space
being removed. This is a much more difficult task if the filesystem is
currently in use. Think about how you go about moving a file that is also
being written at the same time.... With the filesystem unmounted, there's no
chance of these files changing while they are being moved into the space
which will be kept.
--
.~. Robert P. Nix Mayo Foundation
/V\ RO-OE-5-55 200 First Street SW
/( )\ 507-284-0844 Rochester, MN 55905
^^-^^ -----
"In theory, theory and practice are the same, but
in practice, theory and practice are different."
On 11/8/07 12:17 AM, "Mark Post" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>> On Wed, Nov 7, 2007 at 11:41 PM, in message
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Fred
> Schmidt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Is there a way of reducing the size of an ext3 filesystem without first
>> having to unmount it?
>
> According to the man page for ext2online, no:
> It is only possible to enlarge a mounted filesystem. It is possible to use
> ext2resize(8) to shrink and enlarge an unmounted filesystem.
>
>
> Mark Post
>
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