btrfs should be updated due to bugfixes
| Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| btrfs-tools (Ubuntu) |
Invalid
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
Bug Description
btrfs-tools version:3.12-1
Ubuntu version: 14.04
There is a several-year lag between the official btrfs version and the version Ubuntu has implemented. Right now Ubuntu has version 3.12, and the latest version is 4.0. My opintion is that you should follow Marc Merlin's recommendation of regularly updating the btrfs version in Ubuntu, where you consider staying a version or two behind for stability reasons.
In short:
- There has been a lot of improvements since 3.12. 3.13 were a "bugfix and stability focused release". Marc Merlin explicitly commented that 3.14.x "works ok".
- Marc Merlin commented that btrfs changes quickly and that one should use a recent version at all times, and consider staying 1-2 versions behind for stability.
- "Every effort is being made to keep it stable and fast." And: "It typically doesn't just corrupt itself in recent kernels (>3.1x), but it could.
Always have backups."
- The heavy development is both about stability (like bugfixing), and about the useability of the filesystem.
The general statement about stability on btrfs' web site [1], has since july 29th 2013 been (at the time of version 3.10): "The filesystem disk format is no longer unstable, and it's not expected to change unless there are strong reasons to do so. If there is a format change, file systems with an unchanged format will continue to be mountable and usable by newer kernels.
The Btrfs code base is under heavy development. Every effort is being made to keep it stable and fast. Due to the fast development speed, the state of development of the filesystem improves noticeably with every new Linux version, so it's recommended to run the most modern kernel possible."
To fill in some blanks in which is not current on the btrfs web site, Marc Merlin held a talk at Linux.conf.au this year [2]. He commented on the versions of btrfs in relation to stability. He explisitly said this: "It typically doesn't just corrupt itself in recent kernels (>3.1x), but it could.
Always have backups." Further he said: "3.14.x works ok, avoid 3.15 to 3.16.1". And: "it changes quickly though, so use recent kernels if you can, but consider staying a kernel or two behind for stability". Please look at page 11 on the slideshow he used during the talk: http://
Ubuntu curently has version 3.12. There has been a lot of improvements since 3.12. 3.13 were a "bugfix and stability focused release", and there has been alot of improvements which makes a difference for the btrfs-tools commands.
The heavy development is about the useability of the filesystem. In other words why people consider using this filesystem instead of ext4 and other filesystems. Within the development they change things that may not break the disk format, but that improve the useability, like major improvements on the btrfs-cools commands.
References:
1. https:/
2. https:/
| information type: | Private Security → Public Security |
| Svenn Ivar Grønmo (svennivar) wrote | #1 |
| summary: |
- btrfs should be updated due to bugfixes and heavy development + btrfs should be updated due to bugfixes |
| Seth Arnold (seth-arnold) wrote Bug is not a security issue | #2 |
| information type: | Public Security → Public |
| Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote | #3 |
| Changed in btrfs-tools (Ubuntu): | |
| status: | New → Confirmed |
| Rolf Leggewie (r0lf) wrote | #4 |
| Changed in btrfs-tools (Ubuntu): | |
| status: | Confirmed → Invalid |
I asked a question about about why Ubuntu lag implementing btrfs here:
https:/
I just received an answer that I have misunderstood Ubuntu's release strategy, and that a bug report should be justified. I my opintion the bugfixes in version 3.13, and Marc Merlin's comment that 3.14.x "works ok", is a justification that btrfs should be updated in trusty.