# Convert to EXT4



## samip (Jul 25, 2013)

Hello everybody,

How can I convert ZFS to EXT4 without losing data? P.S My ZFS dataset has only one HDD attached to it.


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## kpa (Jul 25, 2013)

Not really possible with FreeBSD drivers and utilities. There's only support for EXT2 in read/write mode and very minimal support for EXT3. Back up your data and create an EXT4 filesystem using Linux and restore your data to the new filesystem.


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## SirDice (Jul 25, 2013)

kpa said:
			
		

> Not really possible with FreeBSD drivers and utilities.


I'd even go a step further, it's not possible at all. Not with Solaris, not with Linux.


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## kpa (Jul 25, 2013)

Yeah true. Such in-place conversions from one filesystem type to another are very rarely possible. MS Windows can do FAT32 -> NTFS but I'm not aware of anything else.


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## SirDice (Jul 25, 2013)

kpa said:
			
		

> MS Windows can do FAT32 -> NTFS but I'm not aware of anything else.


Yep, that's the only one I know of too.


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## samip (Jul 25, 2013)

kpa said:
			
		

> Not really possible with FreeBSD drivers and utilities. There's only support for EXT2 in read/write mode and very minimal support for EXT3. Back up your data and create an EXT4 filesystem using Linux and restore your data to the new filesystem.



So just make a new partition and back up all stuff there?


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## phoenix (Jul 25, 2013)

SirDice said:
			
		

> I'd even go a step further, it's not possible at all. Not with Solaris, not with Linux.



Especially if you only have one harddrive available.  

If you have two harddrives, it's easy enough:  format the second drive with a filesystem of your choice and rsync the data from one to the other.


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## samip (Jul 25, 2013)

phoenix said:
			
		

> Especially if you only have 1 harddrive available.
> 
> If you have 2 harddrives, it's easy enough:  format 2nd drive with filesystem of choice and rsync the data from one to the other.



What if you have, but no way to transfer it to the second HDD? (The second HDD is in my laptop.)


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## wblock@ (Jul 25, 2013)

Connect both systems to a network (aren't they already?), use rsync(1) from one system to the other.


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## samip (Jul 25, 2013)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> Connect both systems to a network (aren't they already?), use rsync(1) from one system to the other.



Both machines do NOT have that. The other machine's OS is Windows.


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## samip (Jul 25, 2013)

But copying is started. To an NTFS partition located on another HDD.


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## samip (Jul 25, 2013)

Finished and problem solved.


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## phoenix (Jul 25, 2013)

samip said:
			
		

> Both machines do NOT have that. The other machine's OS is Windows.



rsync.net client is available for Windows and allows you to transfer files via rsync(8) either to or from a Windows system.


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## wblock@ (Jul 25, 2013)

There's Cygwin for a real ssh and rsync.  But Windows users seem to like WinSCP.


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## samip (Jul 26, 2013)

I have used WinSCP.


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