xfs_db -ix /dev/hda3 complains...

[DogFaceMonk]

Hi, guys; I'm not exactly new to Linux or anything, but this one particular problem is bugging me:

It's been a while since I installed my current Linux installation (Debian unstable) on two XFS filesystems (one for / and one for /boot). I recently came across a situation where I needed to change the XFS labels of these partitions (don't ask why). I was easily able to change the label of the boot partition by passing the kernel the 'emergency' option from LILO and using xfs_db -ix -c 'label [LABEL]' /dev/hda[x] to change the label. I thought that since the root partition was mounted read-only that I could get away with doing the same for it. However, xfs_db complains that the partition is mounted and possibly writable. I use udev for devices if that makes any difference.

Please help me...

 

[bersl2]

It should definitely work if you do it from a bootable CD distro or something like that.

 

[DogFaceMonk]

I can't find a bootable cd with xfs_db on it. (It's one hell'a a big program, with xfs libs and everything.)

 

[Nothinman]

All the bootable CDs I've used have them, but then they're usually based on Debian (i.e. Gnoppix, Knoppix, etc).

 

[DogFaceMonk]

I will download and use Knoppix (big download), if I can be assured that there is no way to do it while booted to the hard disk in emergency mode.

 

[Nothinman]

It's only a big download if you're on dialup, hell it took me less than an hr to download the 2.5G FC4T1 ISO via bittorrent. Personally I like to keep a Gnoppix or Knoppix CD around anyway just for recovery purposes.