---
name: "e2undo"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "e2fsprogs"
version: "1.47.4-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/e2undo"
---

# e2undo(8)

Replay an undo log for an ext2/ext3/ext4 file system

## NAME

e2undo - Replay an undo log for an ext2/ext3/ext4 file system

## SYNOPSIS

**e2undo** \[ **-f** \] \[ **-h** \] \[ **-n** \] \[ **-o** *offset* \] \[ **-v** \] \[ **-z** *undo\_file* \] *undo\_log device*

## DESCRIPTION

**e2undo** will replay the undo log *undo\_log* for an ext2/ext3/ext4 file system found on *device*. This can be used to undo a failed operation by an e2fsprogs program.

## OPTIONS

- **-f**

  Normally, **e2undo** will check the file system superblock to make sure the undo log matches with the file system on the device.  If they do not match, **e2undo** will refuse to apply the undo log as a safety mechanism.  The **-f** option disables this safety mechanism.

- **-h**

  Display a usage message.

- **-n**

  Dry-run; do not actually write blocks back to the file system.

- **-o** *offset*

  Specify the file system's *offset* (in bytes) from the beginning of the device or file.

- **-v**

  Report which block we're currently replaying.

- **-z** *undo\_file*

  Before overwriting a file system block, write the old contents of the block to an undo file.  This undo file can be used with [e2undo(8)](/e2undo/8.md) to restore the old contents of the file system should something go wrong.  If the empty string is passed as the undo\_file argument, the undo file will be written to a file named e2undo-*device*.e2undo in the directory specified via the *E2FSPROGS\_UNDO\_DIR* environment variable.

  WARNING: The undo file cannot be used to recover from a power or system crash.

## AUTHOR

**e2undo** was written by Aneesh Kumar K.V. (aneesh.kumar@linux.vnet.ibm.com)

## AVAILABILITY

**e2undo** is part of the e2fsprogs package and is available from http://e2fsprogs.sourceforge.net.

## SEE ALSO

[**mke2fs**(8)](/mke2fs/8.md), [**tune2fs**(8)](/tune2fs/8.md)