[PATCH] ext3: zero freed blocks

[Theodore Tso]

On Fri, Sep 08, 2006 at 06:26:28PM -0600, Andreas Dilger wrote:
> > The patch also has the potential danger that the data blocks are
> > getting zeroed before the transaction which contains the unlink has
> > committed.  There is therefore the risk that the system might crash
> > after the blocks have been zero'ed, but before transaction has
> > committed.  In that case, the file will still be there, but some or
> > all of its contents will be zero'ed.  
> 
> That might be considered a feature.

I don't think so.  Deletes should be atomic.  I could certainly see
programs where a file should either be deleted, or not deleted.  For a
file to be partially corrupted but not deleted could ruin an
application's consistency assumptions.

						- Ted