[SunHELP] filesystem question

Ivan Kovalev sunhelp at sunhelp.org
Thu May 3 11:26:43 CDT 2001 

You probably are doing

> > > > > If I "cd /opt/lost+found"
> > > > > I see a directory "#028482"
> > > > > If I "cd #028482", I end up at "/"

as you put it originaly. 

My guess is you are doing it as root. You are not quoting #028482 and as
a result your "cd #028482" works as simple "cd" and puts you in root's
home. You can check it: try to change permissions for lost+found opening
it for non-root user and do the same as someone else. You will end up in
this user's home directory. If you did "cd /opt/lost+found/#028482",
that should work as well as "cd '#028482'" from /opt/lost+found.

As it was already pointed out, lost+found is created during newfs. File
and directory names inside this directory correspond to inode numbers of
the files that lost their links and are put there by fsck. (do ls -li in
your lost+found) You might be able to restore these files after you
investigate thir contens. If you are not able to do so or do not want
to, it is safe to delete all the files inside lost+found (tey are not in
use anyway).

To clarify on the links remarks below, if you delete symlink, you delete
an alias to a file name (file itself might or might not exist). When you
delete a hard link, you are deleting a reference to specific inode which
points to the file. If this reference was the last one (no more hard
links), the file will be deleted.

Ivan

Edward Chase wrote:
> 
> OK, that much I understand.
> 
> In my scenerio, if I "cd /opt/lost+found/#028482", it's as if I've "cd /"
> 
> The directory #028482 basically appears to be empty, at least according to
> "du", but if I do an "ls", I see all the same things I would if I had done
> a "cd /; ls".
> 
> Not that it makes sense to me, but their appears to be some relation
> between "/opt/lost+found/#028482" and "/"
> 
> I'm wondering that if I delete "/opt/lost+found/#028482", would I somehow
> be deleting "/"?  Which, of course, would be most tragic.
> 
> At 10:55 PM 5/2/2001 +0100, Fletcher, Joe wrote:
> 
> >It describes the contents of "lost+found" as being recovered data that may
> >potentially be of use to you. Analysis of the contents of the directory may
> >lead you to recover stuff that otherwise might be lost. It must be said
> >though that most of the time the recovered stuff is useless wihtout a large
> >amount of work being done on it. It's usually fragments at best.
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Edward Chase [mailto:echase at postoffice.providence.edu]
> >Sent: 2 May 2001 18:55
> >To: sunhelp at sunhelp.org
> >Subject: RE: [SunHELP] filesystem question
> >
> >
> >I'm sorry, but I don't see how this reply adds anything or helps me out???
> >
> >
> >At 01:15 PM 5/2/2001 -0400, Foust, Kal E wrote:
> > >I don't know if things have changed regarding filesystems to the point that
> > >these entries are no longer relevant.  My understanding is that
> >"lost+found"
> > >'directories' are created automatically when you build the filesystem.
> >They
> > >are used by <fsck> in emergencies and so should not be deleted without
> > >diligence.  There purpose being that if <fsck> finds a file whose parent
> > >directory is unknown, it puts the file into the "lost+found" directory at
> > >the top level of the filesystem.
> > >
> > >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: Edward Chase [mailto:echase at postoffice.providence.edu]
> > >Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2001 9:47 AM
> > >To: sunhelp at sunhelp.org
> > >Subject: Re: [SunHELP] filesystem question
> > >
> > >
> > >It certainly doesn't appear to be...
> > >
> > >The first character when doing an "ls" is a "d", not an "l".
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >At 08:27 AM 5/2/2001 +0100, Will Mc Donald wrote:
> > > >Is #028482 a symlink? I have no idea what it is or why it's there but if
> >it
> > > >is a symlink you're *probably* safe to delete it.
> > > >
> > > >----- Original Message -----
> > > >From: "Edward Chase" <echase at postoffice.providence.edu>
> > > >To: <sunhelp at sunhelp.org>
> > > >Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 9:09 PM
> > > >Subject: [SunHELP] filesystem question
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > I was just nosing around a machine and found the following...
> > > > >
> > > > > If I "cd /opt/lost+found"
> > > > > I see a directory "#028482"
> > > > > If I "cd #028482", I end up at "/"
> > > > >
> > > > > I've unmounted the /opt filesystem and fsck'd it.  There are currently
> > >no
> > > > > errors.
> > > > >
> > > > > What's happening here?
> > > > > Can I "cd /opt/lost+found" and "rmdir #028482" safely?
> > > > > If "rmdir" doesn't work, should I "rm -rf #028482"?
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks.
> > > > >
> > > > > Solaris 2.5.1, if it's of any importance...
> >
> >---------------------------------------------------------------
> >   Edward F. Chase III     |   echase at providence.edu
> >   Providence College      |   http://www.providence.edu
> >   Computer Services       |   http://studentweb.providence.edu
> >   Providence, RI  02918   |
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> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>   Edward F. Chase III     |   echase at providence.edu
>   Providence College      |   http://www.providence.edu
>   Computer Services       |   http://studentweb.providence.edu
>   Providence, RI  02918   |
> 
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