Hi folks, Have a newly partitioned HD with following config; root@ttyp0[knoppix]# fdisk -l Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 1 13 104391 83 Linux /dev/hda2 14 77 514080 82 Linux swap /dev/hda3 78 1415 10747485 83 Linux /dev/hda4 1416 4865 27712125 5 Extended /dev/hda5 1416 2510 8795556 83 Linux /dev/hda6 2511 3485 7831656 83 Linux /dev/hda7 3486 4216 5871726 83 Linux /dev/hda8 4217 4865 5213061 83 Linux without OS installed. /dev/hda5, /hda6/, hda7 and /hda8 all have data files. All partitions can be mouted previously on running Knoppix 4.0 LiveCD. An hour before ran Knoppix 4.0 to browse Internets and have some files saved on /dev/hda8. Those files were not download on Internet. Just copied some text/information from Internet on existing files on /dev/hda8. The PC/Knoppix LiveCD worked without problem and was turned off later. Now after turning on the PC and starting Knoppix LiveCD it was found /dev/hda8 could not be mounted. root@ttyp0[knoppix]# mount /dev/hda8 /mnt/hda8 mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/hda8, or too many mounted file systems Other partitions can be mouted without problem. The data/files on them can be read. Please advise how to fix this problem. TIA B.R. satimis

What file system is it? Have you tried running fsck or reiserfsck on it?

Hi 3Dave, > What file system is it? ext3 > Have you tried running fsck or reiserfsck on > it? No. I ran; # e2fsck -f /dev/hda8 e2fsck 1.38 (30-Jun-2005) e2fsck: Filesystem revision too high while trying to open /dev/hda8 The filesystem revision is apparently too high for this version of e2fsck. (Or the filesystem superblock is corrupt) The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2 filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock: e2fsck -b 8193 <device> - - - END - - - Before running "e2fsck -b 8193" I need to backup this partition (/dev/hda8) to /dev/hda7 which has 5.6G available space. I'm trying to figure out what options on dd command should be up. # dd if=/dev/hda8 of=/dev/hda7 would overwrite /dev/hda7 partition with the data from /dev/hda8 ending up with two identical and corrupted partitions. I need to create all data on /dev/hda8 as a "FILE" over on hda7, not overwrite the whole /dev/hda7. I looked at "man dd" but haven't arrived a conclusion yet. Could you shed me some light? There are several non-important working files on /dev/hda7. I could delete them. TIA B.R. satimis

You could do: # dd if=/dev/hda8 of=/dev/hda7/partition.image Alternatively you could create a smaller gzipped compressed image with something like: # dd if=/dev/hda8 bs=1M | gzip -c - > /mnt/hda7/partition.image.gz Have you got /sbin/fsck.ext3 that you could use instead of e2fsck? Running "fsck.ext3 -b 8193 /dev/hda8" should hopefully repair your partition.

Hi 3Dave, On mounting /dev/hda7; root@1[knoppix]# mount -t ext3 /dev/hda7 /mnt/hda7 mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/hda7, missing codepage or other error In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try dmesg | tail or so It gave me a shock. /dev/hda7 can be mounted previously but failed this time. Continued. root@1[knoppix]# fdisk -l Warning: ignoring extra data in partition table 5 Warning: ignoring extra data in partition table 5 Warning: ignoring extra data in partition table 5 Warning: invalid flag 0x4f88 of partition table 5 will be corrected by w(rite) Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 2089 4191 16881607 83 Linux /dev/hda2 2102 4255 17291552 82 Linux swap / Solaris /dev/hda3 2166 5593 27524957 83 Linux /dev/hda4 3504 6954 27712381 5 Extended /dev/hda5 ? 167652 114771 1722716809 d1 Unknown The output gave me a further shock. Then I mounted /dev/hda1, hda3, hda5, hda6 respectively and read their content with "ls" command. All worked without problem. I mounted /dev/hda7 again. This time it worked and its content can be read with "ls". root@1[knoppix]# fdisk -l Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 1 13 104391 83 Linux /dev/hda2 14 77 514080 82 Linux swap / Solaris /dev/hda3 78 1415 10747485 83 Linux /dev/hda4 1416 4865 27712125 5 Extended /dev/hda5 1416 2510 8795556 83 Linux /dev/hda6 2511 3485 7831656 83 Linux /dev/hda7 3486 4216 5871726 83 Linux /dev/hda8 4217 4865 5213061 83 Linux However /dev/hda8 still could not be mounted. Umounted all partitions except /dev/hda7 and ran; root@1[knoppix]# dd if=/dev/hda8 bs=1M | gzip -c - > /mnt/hda7/partition.image.gz dd: reading `/dev/hda8': Input/output error 3378+1 records in 3378+1 records out 3542679552 bytes transferred in 1301.761987 seconds (2721450 bytes/sec) root@1[knoppix]# fsck.ext3 -b 8193 /dev/hda8 e2fsck 1.38 (30-Jun-2005) fsck.ext3: Bad magic number in super-block while trying to open /dev/hda8 The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2 filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock: e2fsck -b 8193 <device> root@1[knoppix]# e2fsck -b 8193 /dev/hda8 e2fsck 1.38 (30-Jun-2005) e2fsck: Bad magic number in super-block while trying to open /dev/hda8 The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2 filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock: e2fsck -b 8193 <device> Still could not fix the problem. Whether I have to use another higher number? If YES what number shall I try? Besides on the command line ".... gzip -c - > ....." What is the "-" (hyphen) used for? B.R. satimis

You can use other superblock numbers...have a search on the net, can't remember off hand. The "-" pipes stdout from the previous command to the next one, another example: $ cat somefile.txt | grep string - The above will pie the output of "cat somefile.txt" to grep which will then search it for "string". It is the same as: $ grep string somefile.txt It sounds as though your hard drive may be failing. Have you tried physically removing it and then putting it back, reseating all the cables etc?

Hi 3Dave, After running; root@1[knoppix]# fsck.ext3 -b 32768 /dev/hda8 and answering several questions the partition revived. It can be mounted with its data retrievable. Tks. FYI: for larger filesystems it is 32768 or 98304 or 32768 * {3,5,7}^n by default. The power cable of the HD rendered into problem occasionally for unknown reason. Sometimes I have to replug it serveral times before it can work. The power was on with the HD turning but the PC can't read its content. Another time the screen hung during working, the HD still turning. I checked another HD on this PC with the same power cable which is an extension. It also rendered into the same problem occasionally. I think this extension power cable has to be changed. I'll get a new one from computer shop later. Another problem is the Knoppix 4.0 LiveCD. Many times it was difficult to boot. I have to eject the CDRom tray several time before getting it booted. Other LiveCD won't have the same problem on the same CDRom. Would it be necessary to download another ISO image and burned another Knoppix 4.0 LiveCD? Coming to the compressed file on /dev/hda7, can I ran; (after cd /mnt/hda7) # gzip -d partition.image.gz /mnt/hda8 to restore the data in case of need, or to another partition having sufficient space. Can I restore it in the same partition? TIA B.R. satimis