Invoking e2compress

Options may be intermixed with file names. An option applies to all filenames following that option on the command line (or up to an option that contradicts the first); for example, `e2compress foo -d bar -c baz' attempts to compress `foo' and `baz' and to decompress `bar'.

`-S suffix'

`--suffix=suffix'

Uses the provided suffix to create the temporary file, instead of the default suffix (which is `~z~').

`-f'

`--force'

Force:

• Write over existing temporary (backup) file.
• Continue even if the file has more than one link. (The other links will remain unchanged.)
• Attempt to decompress even if original isn't flagged as being compressed.
• Disables verification of compression.

`-b size'

`--cluster-blocks=size'

Set cluster size (specified as a number of filesystem blocks) for compression. If not specified, or if specified as 0, then the cluster size is determined by the kernel. (The kernel policy up to the time of writing ---e2compr 0.3.6-- is that it comes from the cluster size of the containing directory if that has the compression attribute (EXT2_COMPR_FL) raised; otherwise it is the default set during `make config' or in `linux/include/linux/ext2_fs.h' at kernel compile time.)

`--compress'

Compress the files. This is the default behaviour (unless the program is invoked under the name `e2decompress' or `e2uncompress').

`-d'

`--decompress'

`--uncompress'

Decompress the following files. (This is the default behaviour if the program is invoked as `e2decompress' or `e2uncompress'.)

`-c'

`--to-stdout'

Do not change the file; write to standard output. (At present this works only for decompression.)

`-m method'

`--method=method'

`--algorithm=method'

Set the compression algorithm for compression. If not specified, or if specified as kernel, then the compression method is determined by the kernel. (The kernel policy up to the time of writing --e2compr 0.3.6-- is that it comes from the compression method of the containing directory if that has the compression attribute (EXT2_COMPR_FL) raised; otherwise it is the default set during `make config' or in `linux/include/linux/ext2_fs.h' at kernel compile time.)

`-s method'

`--subsequent-method=method'

Set the compression algorithm for subsequent writes. `e2compress -mgzip9 -snone myfile' is the same as `e2compress -mgzip9 myfile && chattr -m none myfile'. If not specified, or if specified as same, then no chattr-like operations is attempted (so subsequent writes use the same compression algorithm as was specified with `-m'). This option only applies to files that are being compressed.

`--believe-bitmap'

When decompressing, trust the cluster bitmap even if a cluster otherwise appears to be a valid compressed cluster. Usually when decompressing, if we find a valid compressed cluster but the cluster bitmap says that the cluster isn't compressed, a warning is given but the cluster is treated as compressed (and the decompressed data is copied to output). At present this is reasonable default behaviour because e2compr isn't yet standard, and many tools don't know about cluster bitmaps. Thus it's usually more likely that the cluster bitmap was lost by such a tool than that random data just happened to form a valid compressed cluster. Use this option if you are confident that the bitmap is in fact correct. (You will still get a warning that the cluster was otherwise valid.)

`-h'

`--help'

Show a usage message and exit without processing any files.

`-v'

`--verbose'

Verbose operation. (Display cluster statistics.)

`--version'

Display the version number and exit without processing any files.

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