[Bug 1365874] Re: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS do not support ext4 metadata checksumming

[Simon Iremonger]

Ubuntu 18.04 may well enable (under review) 64bit,metadata_csum by
default, thereby creating ext4 filesystems that are not compatible with
e2fsck on Ubuntu-16.04 LTS (or 14.04)?

This creates all sorts of problems for compatibility/portability of filesystems, for e.g.:-
* dual-booting 18.04 and older LTS versions
* "ext4 portable disks" do not work.
* (notice also Ken's hwe-edge/lvm issue above too).

I strongly support that Xenial gets a backport of e2fsprogs-1.43 (as requested) so that this compatibility-annoyance is ameliorated, at least.
Debian have already done this, created a "jessie-backports" e2fsprogs=1.43.3-1~bpo8+1 

Hopefully tytso can advise us on the best version of e2fsprogs to
backport (18.04 currently has 1.43.9-2).

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1365874

Title:
  Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS do not support ext4 metadata
  checksumming

Status in e2fsprogs package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  In the Trusty release notes "Metadata checksumming" is listed as one
  of the tech highlights of kernel 3.13.

  https://wiki.ubuntu.com/TrustyTahr/ReleaseNotes#New_features_in_14.04_LTS

  However, the userland tools do not support this kernel feature. To the
  best of my knowledge this will be supported in 1.43, and won't be
  backported to 1.42.

  IMHO this is very misleading. It's like a car salesperson sold you a
  sports car with an V8 engine. After you drove it home, you opened the
  hood and realized only 6 cylinders are working because 2 of the spark
  plugs were not included, and you have to buy aftermarket ones.

  <rant>BTW, I've been following the development of e2fsprogs for over a
  year. 1.43  release has been in limbo for God knows how long :(
  </rant>

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