[NEVER MIND] Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

[Snowhog]

I may be in a bad way.

I used fsarchiver from the SystemRescueCd LiveCD to create archives of my LL 10.04 root and home partitions. That part was successful - no errors reported. The archives are on an external USB HD. The HD is formatted ext3.

I used the GParted 0.6.1 on the SystemRescueCd LiveCD to repartition my internal HD. I removed all partitions and then set up the drive as follows:

10Gb primary partition for root (flagged bootable) formatted as ext4
101.79 extended partition (the rest of the HD)
20Gb logical partition for home formatted as ext4
2Gb swap at the end of the logical partition

My LL 10.04 was originally on ext3 partitions. I converted them not to long ago to ext4. That too, was successful. I've had zero problems with LL 10.04 since that conversion.

My problem is that fsarchiver won't restore the archives it just successfully created! All sorts of errors. These (just a sampling) from the attempt to restore the root archive:

archreader.c#528,archreader_read_block(): block is corrupt at offset=1572864, blksize=262144
archreader.c#528,archreader_read_block(): block is corrupt at offset=2621440, blksize=262144
archreader.c#528,archreader_read_block(): block is corrupt at offset=7340032, blksize=262144
oper_restore.c#867,extractar_restore_obj_regfile_u nique(): cannot restore file /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-23-generic, file is corrupt
oper_restore.c#877,extractar_restore_obj_regfile_u nique(): removing /tmp/fsa/20100801-011359-00/boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-23-generic
archreader.c#528,archreader_read_block(): block is corrupt at offset=5505024, blksize=262144
archreader.c#528,archreader_read_block(): block is corrupt at offset=5767168, blksize=262144
archreader.c#528,archreader_read_block(): block is corrupt at offset=7340032, blksize=262144
oper_restore.c#867,extractar_restore_obj_regfile_u nique(): cannot restore file /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic, file is corrupt
oper_restore.c#877,extractar_restore_obj_regfile_u nique(): removing /tmp/fsa/20100801-011359-00/boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
archreader.c#528,archreader_read_block(): block is corrupt at offset=0, blksize=247335
oper_restore.c#708,extractar_restore_obj_regfile_m ulti(): cannot restore file /boot/grub/gcry_sha1.mod, the data block (which is shared by multiple files) is corrupt
oper_restore.c#708,extractar_restore_obj_regfile_m ulti(): cannot restore file /boot/grub/jpeg.mod, the data block (which is shared by multiple files) is corrupt
oper_restore.c#708,extractar_restore_obj_regfile_m ulti(): cannot restore file /boot/grub/drivemap.mod, the data block (which is shared by multiple files) is corrupt
oper_restore.c#708,extractar_restore_obj_regfile_m ulti(): cannot restore file /boot/grub/befs_be.mod, the data block (which is shared by multiple files) is corrupt
oper_restore.c#708,extractar_restore_obj_regfile_m ulti(): cannot restore file /boot/grub/afs.mod, the data block (which is shared by multiple files) is corrupt
oper_restore.c#708,extractar_restore_obj_regfile_m ulti(): cannot restore file /boot/grub/gcry_tiger.mod, the data block (which is shared by multiple files) is corrupt

Similar errors on the attempt to restore the home archive.

I've posted a plea for help on SystemRescueCd forums at fsarchiver won't restore archives just created

If no one, here or there, can tell me what's happening, and more importantly, how to resolve it, so I can restore my OS, I will have to reinstall and will have lost EVERYTHING!

[GreyGeek]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

From the docs:

FSArchiver also creates the file-system when it extracts the data to partitions. Everything is checksummed in the archive in order to protect the data. If the archive is corrupt, you just loose the current file, not the whole archive.
...
Current status

The project is currently still in development. Anyway, all the standard stuff is already implemented and several versions have already been released. It should not be used on a production environment yet. It's provided for testing purposes only. It's currently undergoing a stabilization process, and important tests are being made.

The current version supports backing-up and restoring an unix file-system with all the standard file attributes (permissions, date/time, ...) and for the extended-attributes. Linux ACL (Access Control Lists) are preserved when the partition is mounted with the correct mount options, since ACL are implemented as standard extended-attributes on linux filesystems.

The current version supports lzo, gzip, bzip2 and lzma compression algorithms (it's done at the file block level).

The test page gives advice on testing your system's RAM with valgrind.

And, the QuickStart page gives a method of testing your archive file. Here is their example:

fsarchiver archinfo /backup/backup-fsa/sysimg-t3p5g965-debian-20100131-07h16.fsa

If your archive tests OK then the restore procedure which creates the filesystem may be at fault.
You may also be able to break your archive up into smaller files and, hopefully, isolate any bad parts into the smallest size.

Splitting the archive into several volumes

If the archive file is very big, you may want to split it into several small files. For instance, if the size of your backup is 8GB and you want to save it on DVD+RW discs, it may be useful to split the archive into volumes of 4.3GB. File splitting is supported ijn FSArchiver-0.3.0 and newer. To use it when you create an archive, you just have to use option -s to specific the size you want for each volume, in mega-bytes.

fsarchiver savefs -s 4300 /data/backup-rhel-5.2-fsa033.fsa /dev/sda1

The first volume always have an .fsa extension. The names of the next volumes will terminate with .f01, .f02, .f03, ... When you restore the archive, you just have to specify the path to the first volume on the command line, and it will automatically use the next volumes if they are in the same directory. Else it will display a prompt, where you can specify another location for a volume.

[Snowhog]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

The archives do test OK - first thing I did after the failed attempt to restore:

root@sysresccd / % fsarchiver archinfo /mnt/backup/kubuntu-rootfs.fsa
====================== archive information ======================
Archive type: filesystems
Filesystems count: 1
Archive id: 4c529948
Archive file format: FsArCh_002
Archive created with: 0.6.10
Archive creation date: 2010-08-01_00-25-23
Archive label: <none>
Minimum fsarchiver version: 0.6.4.0
Compression level: 3 (gzip level 6)
Encryption algorithm: none

===================== filesystem information ====================
Filesystem id in archive: 0
Filesystem format: ext4
Filesystem label:
Filesystem uuid: 5b219a25-25e8-4a2e-a745-6a36c31eab5c
Original device: /dev/sda3
Original filesystem size: 9.84 GB (10565455872 bytes)
Space used in filesystem: 3.92 GB (4209188864 bytes)

root@sysresccd / % fsarchiver archinfo /mnt/backup/kubuntu-homefs.fsa
====================== archive information ======================
Archive type: filesystems
Filesystems count: 1
Archive id: 4c590889
Archive file format: FsArCh_002
Archive created with: 0.6.10
Archive creation date: 2010-08-01_00-39-27
Archive label: <none>
Minimum fsarchiver version: 0.6.4.0
Compression level: 3 (gzip level 6)
Encryption algorithm: none

===================== filesystem information ====================
Filesystem id in archive: 0
Filesystem format: ext4
Filesystem label:
Filesystem uuid: f916506d-fbaa-4782-b207-a4dc72467ab6
Original device: /dev/sda5
Original filesystem size: 19.69 GB (21137190912 bytes)
Space used in filesystem: 7.81 GB (8382717952 bytes)

[Telengard]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

I used the GParted 0.6.1 on the SystemRescueCd LiveCD to repartition my internal HD. I removed all partitions and then set up the drive as follows:

First, I have no experience with fsarchiver, but that output looks positively terrifying.

Have you actually written to the drive since repartitioning? If not then your data is still intact and all that is missing is the partition table. Partition tables can be recreated, with some effort. Your data is not gone until you explicitly overwrite it.

Even if you have overwritten parts of the drive you may still be able to recover some data. I believe photorec can recover files in cases like this.

Do you have backups of your data?

[Qqmike]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec
as Telengard says ... asap if not sooner

[Snowhog]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

I used the GParted 0.6.1 on the SystemRescueCd LiveCD to repartition my internal HD. I removed all partitions and then set up the drive as follows:

First, I have no experience with fsarchiver, but that output looks positively terrifying.

Have you actually written to the drive since repartitioning? If not then your data is still intact and all that is missing is the partition table. Partition tables can be recreated, with some effort. Your data is not gone until you explicitly overwrite it.

Written to? Other than the reformat process the GParted does, no. I'm still running from the SystemRescueCd LiveC.

Even if you have overwritten parts of the drive you may still be able to recover some data. I believe photorec can recover files in cases like this.

I don't have photorec.

Do you have backups of your data?

No. Yes, I know. Bad, bad, bad, ....

I simply did not expect fsarchiver to fail on restoration.

[Qqmike]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

-- RESCUE Partitions & Data TestDisk--PhotoRec--Knoppix
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3091847.0

TestDisk: restore MBR and partitions, including extended
PhotoRec: recover files (odts, doc, jpg, etc., many types)

[Telengard]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

Written to? Other than the reformat process the GParted does, no.

It is my understanding that most hard disk formatting programs don't actually erase the drive. They usually lay down the information necessary to support a file system, and then simply verify the blocks of the partition. In other words, your data may still be recoverable.

1) I highly recommend you cease all attempts to write to this drive. Dump the partitions of this drive into image files making certain to include supposedly empty blocks in the images. You can then use those image files for your recovery attempts. If necessary, you can purchase a new drive of the same size or slightly larger to restore those partitions on to and make recovery attempts.

2) Purchase a second new drive which is the same size or larger. Use it to continue your attempts at restoring with fsarchiver.

3) If your own recovery attempts fail, you can still send your original drive to a professional forensic recovery house. It will be very costly.

I'm very sad that this has happened to you. I wish you luck with fsarchiver.

[Telengard]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

For step 1 in my last post: I think you'll need to resort to the dd command to get the job done properly. It is probably the best way to be certain the entire drive will be copied including supposedly empty blocks. I wrote "dump the partitions", but that would be impractical given that you've already repartitioned the drive. A whole disk dump is what you'll need.

[verndog]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

Snowhog,
I've used FSArchiver in the past, and almost everytime I have restored a partition I get at least 3 CRC errors. The site does mention that its still in development. I liked the speed of it, but couldn't trust it.

Since then I now only use partclone. It has never failed me once. Partclone is what what Clonezilla uses.

[Snowhog]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

Yes, but Clonzilla doesn't support ext4.

There is light at the end of the tunnel (and it isn't a train). Testdisk is on the SystemRescueCd I was running. I used it. It did rebuild the partition table - sort of. I rebooted and nothing happened. So, I rebooted with my Knoppix 6.2 LiveCD.

My home partition was intact!! 8) I've copied it to my external USB HD. None of the other partitions on the internal HD had my root partition. I can live with that (will have to). I'll just reinstall LL, get it all updated, and then copy over my recovered home partition data. It will take me a bit, but it is the weekend, and I've tonight and the next two days to get it done.

I'll chalk this up to a HARD lesson learned. :P

[Telengard]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

I'll chalk this up to a HARD lesson learned. :P

And the lesson is this: Don't trust all your data to a single program without having backups.

I'm very glad to read that you have recovered your data. Be sure to send the testdisk developers and thank you note, and the fsarchiver developers a detailed bug report.

[Snowhog]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

I'm very glad to read that you have recovered your data. Be sure to send the testdisk developers and thank you note, and the fsarchiver developers a detailed bug report.

Once I've got my system back, and the way I want it, I'll do just that. I'm keeping the two fsarchive 'archive files' just in case they need them.

[verndog]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

Yes, but Clonzilla doesn't support ext4.

...

Yes it does support Ext4. I use it all the time. Are you using Debian or Ubuntu testing version?

If you use partclone, its called partclone.ext4 , but thats just a link to partclone itself. Partclone is in the repositories.

Edit: Taken from Clonzilla first page:
"Features of Clonezilla

Free (GPL) Software.
Filesystem supported: (1) ext2, ext3, ext4, reiserfs, reiser4, xfs, jfs of GNU/Linux, (2) FAT, NTFS of MS Windows, (3) HFS+ of Mac OS, (4) UFS of FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD, and (5) VMFS of VMWare ESX. Therefore you can clone GNU/Linux, MS windows, Intel-based Mac OS, and FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD, no matter it's 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x86-64) OS. For these file systems, only used blocks in partition are saved and restored. For unsupported file system, sector-to-sector copy is done by dd in Clonezilla."

[IndyTim]

Re: Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

A real basic question re the attempted restore. On the "restore to" partition, is it the same or larger size as the original?

For me, fsarchiver is the backup tool of choice these days. I've successfully restored ext3, ext4, and ntfs.

IndyTim / DataMan