gnu-fdisk doesn't work with ext3 partitions, created with Ubuntu installer (with resize_inode features)

[Mantas Kriaučiūnas]

Binary package hint: gnu-fdisk

gnu-fdisk doesn't work with ext3 partitions, created with Ubuntu installer (with resize_inode features):

I install gnu-fdisk 1.1 from Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty, run cfdisk and choose "Check" or "Resize" button on ext3 filesystem, created with Ubuntu livecd installer. Then I get this error message:

Error!
 ======

 File system has an incompatible feature enabled. Compatible features are
 has_journal, dir_index, filetype, sparse_super and large_file.
 Use tune2fs or debugfs to remove features.

The only "uncompatible" feature, which are enabled by default in all Ubuntu installations since 6.06 LTS is resize_inode :

dumpe2fs /dev/sda1 |grep -i features
Filesystem features: has_journal resize_inode dir_index filetype sparse_super large_file

gnu-fdisk works only with unmounted filesystems and this feature shouldn't cause any problems when checking or resizing unmounted ext3 filesystem, this feature just enables additional resize possibilities with mounted filesystem.

So, please add resize_inode feature to compatible ext3 features list in gnu-fdisk - then gnu-fdisk will work with ext3 partitions, created with Ubuntu and Debian installers :)

[Nick Gnat (nickgnat)]

For those who don't mind removing the journal, this may help:
http://www.howtoforge.com/linux_resizing_ext3_partitions

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Indeed, but very hard to fix without substantial upstream reworking of libparted. This is a consequence of bug 59620.