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Inode number changes for a file in Redhat Linux

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Operating Systems Linux Inode number changes for a file in Redhat Linux
# 8  
Old 10-09-2014
What kind of filesystem do this files reside on?
# 9  
Old 10-09-2014
they are Unix file systems , if that is what you mean?
# 10  
Old 10-09-2014
Hi,

I think what is meant is what is the filesystem type, ext2, ext3, ext4, jfs, zfs, ufs, adfs etc.

Anyway, in answer to your original question, "Why does the Inode number change." It is likely that this is due to the editor, as they quite often work with "shadow copies" of the file you are editing, and the new copy replaces the original file.

Regards

Dave
# 11  
Old 10-09-2014
oh ok. It is UFS
# 12  
Old 10-09-2014
Hi,

I don't use Gedit, however if you open a file in gedit and while it is open have a look in the directory to see if there are other copies of the file as follows;
Code:
[root@ekbit13 bin]# ls -l sergen*
-rwxr-xr-x. 1 sc386dm sc386dm 12800 Nov 18  2013 sergen.scr
-rwxr-xr-x. 1 sc386dm sc386dm 13174 Nov  5  2013 sergen.scr~
[root@ekbit13 bin]# stat sergen.scr
  File: `sergen.scr'
  Size: 12800     	Blocks: 32         IO Block: 4096   regular file
Device: 811h/2065d	Inode: 2099809     Links: 1
Access: (0755/-rwxr-xr-x)  Uid: (  505/ sc386dm)   Gid: (  500/ sc386dm)
Access: 2014-10-09 10:21:48.695567634 +0100
Modify: 2014-10-09 10:21:48.701567649 +0100
Change: 2014-10-09 10:21:48.721567699 +0100
[root@ekbit13 bin]# stat sergen.scr~
  File: `sergen.scr~'
  Size: 13174     	Blocks: 32         IO Block: 4096   regular file
Device: 811h/2065d	Inode: 2098503     Links: 1
Access: (0755/-rwxr-xr-x)  Uid: (  505/ sc386dm)   Gid: (  500/ sc386dm)
Access: 2014-10-07 09:54:27.133865925 +0100
Modify: 2013-11-05 21:46:48.371733236 +0000
Change: 2013-11-05 21:46:48.371733236 +0000
[root@ekbit13 bin]# vim sergen.scr
[root@ekbit13 bin]# stat sergen.scr
  File: `sergen.scr'
  Size: 12800     	Blocks: 32         IO Block: 4096   regular file
Device: 811h/2065d	Inode: 2099808     Links: 1
Access: (0755/-rwxr-xr-x)  Uid: (  505/ sc386dm)   Gid: (  500/ sc386dm)
Access: 2014-10-09 10:22:51.895723445 +0100
Modify: 2014-10-09 10:22:51.895723445 +0100
Change: 2014-10-09 10:22:51.919723502 +0100
[root@ekbit13 bin]# vim sergen.scr
[root@ekbit13 bin]# stat sergen.scr~
  File: `sergen.scr~'
  Size: 13174     	Blocks: 32         IO Block: 4096   regular file
Device: 811h/2065d	Inode: 2098503     Links: 1
Access: (0755/-rwxr-xr-x)  Uid: (  505/ sc386dm)   Gid: (  500/ sc386dm)
Access: 2014-10-07 09:54:27.133865925 +0100
Modify: 2013-11-05 21:46:48.371733236 +0000
Change: 2013-11-05 21:46:48.371733236 +0000
[root@ekbit13 bin]#

As you can see the Inode numbers have changed, below is an actual example using the Bluefish editor.

Code:
[~/test] 
(10:34:01)-(sc386dm)-(685)-> touch testfile.txt

[~/test] 
(10:34:14)-(sc386dm)-(686)-> stat testfile.txt
  File: `testfile.txt'
  Size: 0         	Blocks: 0          IO Block: 4096   regular empty file
Device: 811h/2065d	Inode: 2098216     Links: 1
Access: (0664/-rw-rw-r--)  Uid: (  505/ sc386dm)   Gid: (  500/ sc386dm)
Access: 2014-10-09 10:34:14.713010608 +0100
Modify: 2014-10-09 10:34:14.713010608 +0100
Change: 2014-10-09 10:34:14.713010608 +0100

[~/test] 
(10:34:22)-(sc386dm)-(687)-> ls -latr
total 12
drwx------. 47 sc386dm sc386dm 4096 Oct  9 10:31 ..
-rw-rw-r--   1 sc386dm sc386dm    0 Oct  9 10:34 testfile.txt~
-rw-rw-r--   1 sc386dm sc386dm    6 Oct  9 10:34 testfile.txt
drwxrwxr-x   2 sc386dm sc386dm 4096 Oct  9 10:34 .

[~/test] 
(10:35:01)-(sc386dm)-(688)-> stat testfile.txt
  File: `testfile.txt'
  Size: 6         	Blocks: 8          IO Block: 4096   regular file
Device: 811h/2065d	Inode: 2099835     Links: 1
Access: (0664/-rw-rw-r--)  Uid: (  505/ sc386dm)   Gid: (  500/ sc386dm)
Access: 2014-10-09 10:34:48.307144361 +0100
Modify: 2014-10-09 10:34:48.307144361 +0100
Change: 2014-10-09 10:34:48.324144444 +0100

[~/test] 
(10:35:13)-(sc386dm)-(689)-> stat testfile.txt~
  File: `testfile.txt~'
  Size: 0         	Blocks: 0          IO Block: 4096   regular empty file
Device: 811h/2065d	Inode: 2098216     Links: 1
Access: (0664/-rw-rw-r--)  Uid: (  505/ sc386dm)   Gid: (  500/ sc386dm)
Access: 2014-10-09 10:34:36.018083824 +0100
Modify: 2014-10-09 10:34:14.713010608 +0100
Change: 2014-10-09 10:34:48.324144444 +0100

[~/test] 
(10:35:27)-(sc386dm)-(690)->

Hope that this helps.

Regards

Dave
Last edited by gull04; 10-09-2014 at 06:37 AM.. Reason: More information and example.
# 13  
Old 10-09-2014
Modifying an existing file does not change the inode number. The code you're using rewrites the file to a new one, then rename()'s the new file with the old name.

How do you stop that? You don't do it.

If your log file inodes are changing, I'd say the problem is, "Who is editing the log files?" There's auditing to figure that out.
# 14  
Old 10-09-2014
Quote:
Originally Posted by srirammanohar
Hi,

I have created a file a.txt in Redhat Linux.

Inode number for a file changes every time i update the file using vi editor , gedit etc.

Is there any setting that can be made , such that inode number never changes as that is supposed to be the expected behavior?
It means the file is being replaced by another file, not that the inode on the same file is "changing" somehow. Prevent the directory from being written to by the processes -- to prevent the moving, creation, and deletion of files -- will prevent the inode from "changing" -- by stopping these things from working. The file can still be overwritten.

If you want the inode to remain the same, don't use anything that replaces it. If you use stream commands to alter the file, don't edit "in place" or such -- redirect them to a temp file, then cat the new file over the original. To edit, copy to a temp file, edit the temp file, then cat the temp file over the original. I think this is what commands like crontab -e and visudo do.
Last edited by Corona688; 10-09-2014 at 01:04 PM..
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