Achieving the conversion
Creating a test filesystem
In order to preserve our main filesystem from any possible damage after running this experiment, we're going to create a small filesystem inside a normal file for test purposes.
Create a zero-filled file called test
with a size of 10 megabytes:
dd if=/dev/zero of=~/test bs=10M count=1
Create an Ext4 filesystem inside the file, as if it were a partition:
mkfs.ext4 ~/test
Creating some files and directories
Now we have a fully functional filesystem inside the test
file, so we're going to create some files and directories inside it.
Mount the newly created filesystem inside /mnt
:
sudo mount ~/test /mnt
Create a file and a directory:
sudo mkdir /mnt/folder
echo "contents" | sudo tee /mnt/file
Check the contents of the filesystem:
ls -l /mnt
Output should be something like this:
total 2
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 may 21 18:53 file
drw-r--r-- 2 root root 1024 may 21 18:55 folder
Unmount the test filesystem:
sudo umount /mnt
Swapping the file and the folder
Run debugfs
against the test
file with write permission (-w
flag):
debugfs -w ~/test
Convert file
into a folder:
At the debugfs
prompt, type this:
modify_inode file
A prompt will appear asking you a mode; type this:
040644
Keep pressing return to leave the remaining data as-is until the prompt appears again.
Convert folder
into a file:
At the debugfs
prompt, type this:
modify_inode folder
A prompt will appear asking you a mode; type this:
0100644
Keep pressing return to leave the remaining data as-is until the prompt appears again.
To exit debugfs
prompt, simply hit q and then return
Checking the success of the operation
Mount the test filesystem again:
sudo mount ~/test /mnt
Check the filesystem contents:
ls -l /mnt
Now, it should show the file as if it were a directory and vice versa:
total 2
drw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 may 21 18:53 file
-rw-r--r-- 2 root root 1024 may 21 18:55 folder
Script to calculate inode modes
#!/bin/bash
#### See https://ext4.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Ext4_Disk_Layout#Inode_Table
## Terminal measures:
x="$(( $(tput cols) / 2 ))" # Width of the terminal
y="$(( $(tput lines) / 2 ))" # Height of the terminal
## File descriptors:
declare -A types # Declare an associative array with file descriptors
types[f]='0x8000' # File
types[l]='0xA000' # Link
types[s]='0xC000' # Socket
types[d]='0x4000' # Directory
types[p]='0x1000' # Named pipe
types[b]='0x6000' # Block device
types[c]='0x2000' # Character device
## Permissions:
declare -A permission # Declare an associative array with permissions
permission[user_S]='0x800' # UID
permission[user_s]='0x840' # UID and user can execute
permission[user_r]='0x100' # User can read
permission[user_w]='0x80' # User can write
permission[user_x]='0x40' # User can execute
permission[group_S]='0x400' # GID
permission[group_s]='0x408' # GID and group can execute
permission[group_r]='0x20' # Group can read
permission[group_w]='0x10' # Group can write
permission[group_x]='0x8' # Group can execute
permission[other_T]='0x200' # Sticky bit
permission[other_t]='0x201' # Sticky bit and other can execute
permission[other_r]='0x4' # Other can read
permission[other_w]='0x2' # Other can write
permission[other_x]='0x1' # Other can execute
## Cleanup function:
function cleanup() {
tput cvvis # Make the cursor visible
tput rmcup # Restore saved terminal contents
stty sane # Fix problems caused by read -s
exit 0 # Exit gracefully
}
## Function to print at a specified position:
function pprint() {
tput cup $1 $2
printf "${@:3}"
}
## Function to clear the notification area:
function reset() {
pprint $((y+2)) $((x-40)) ' %.0s' {1..25} # Print 25 spaces
}
## Function to notify something to the user:
function notify() {
reset # Clear the notification area
pprint $((y+2)) $((x-40)) "$@" # Print the notification text
}
## If the terminal is smaller than 100x8, exit gracefully (self-explainatory):
if [ $x -lt 50 ] || [ $y -lt 5 ]; then
echo 'Error, I need a minimum of 100x10 lines to run'
exit 0
fi
## Initialize the terminal:
trap cleanup EXIT SIGHUP SIGINT SIGTERM # Call cleanup function after receiving ^C
stty -echo cbreak # Put terminal in silent mode
tput smcup # Save terminal contents
tput civis # Make the cursor inisible
## Draw the big box:
printf '\033[1;37m' # Color
pprint $((y-3)) $((x-48)) '\u2500%.0s' {1..97} # Upper line
pprint $((y+4)) $((x-48)) '\u2500%.0s' {1..97} # Lower line
for ((i=4;i>-4;i--)); do # Sides:
pprint $((y+i)) $((x-49)) '\u2502' # Left line
pprint $((y+i)) $((x+49)) '\u2502' # Right line
done # End sides
pprint $((y-3)) $((x-49)) '\u256D' # Upper-left corner
pprint $((y+4)) $((x-49)) '\u2570' # Lower-left corner
pprint $((y-3)) $((x+49)) '\u256E' # Upper-right corner
pprint $((y+4)) $((x+49)) '\u256F' # Lower-right corner
## Draw the small box:
printf '\033[1;35m' # Color
pprint $((y+1)) $((x-10)) '\u2501%.0s' {1..10} # Upper line
pprint $((y+3)) $((x-10)) '\u2501%.0s' {1..10} # Lower line
pprint $((y+2)) $((x-11)) '\u2503' # Left line
pprint $((y+2)) $((x+00)) '\u2503' # Right line
pprint $((y+1)) $((x-11)) '\u250F' # Upper-left corner
pprint $((y+3)) $((x-11)) '\u2517' # Lower-left corner
pprint $((y+1)) $((x+00)) '\u2513' # Upper-right corner
pprint $((y+3)) $((x+00)) '\u251B' # Lower-right corner
## Print type help:
pprint $((y-2)) $((x-44)) '\033[0;37mInode type: \033[1;37mf\033[0;37mile, \033[1;37md\033[0;37mirectory, \033[1;37ml\033[0;37mink, named \033[1;37mp\033[0;37mipe, \033[1;37ms\033[0;37mocket, \033[1;37mc\033[0;37mharacter device or \033[1;37mb\033[0;37mlock device.'
## Print permission help:
pprint $((y-1)) $((x-40)) '\033[0;36mPermission (\033[1;32mu\033[0;32mser\033[0;36m, \033[1;33mg\033[0;33mroup\033[0;36m or \033[1;31mo\033[0;31mther\033[0;36m): \033[1;36mr\033[0;36mead, \033[1;36mw\033[0;36mrite, e\033[1;36mx\033[0;36mecute, \033[1;36mhyphen\033[0;36m or \033[1;36mspace\033[0;36m to skip.'
pprint $((y+0)) $((x+8)) 's\033[1;36mt\033[0;36micky bit and executable, '
pprint $((y+1)) $((x+8)) 's\033[1;36mT\033[0;36micky bit not executable, '
pprint $((y+2)) $((x+8)) '\033[1;36ms\033[0;36metuid/setgid and executable, '
pprint $((y+3)) $((x+8)) '\033[1;36mS\033[0;36metuid/setgid not executable. '
## Endless loop:
while :; do
## Clear the input area:
pprint $((y+2)) $((x-10)) '% *s\n' 10 # Print 16 spaces
## Print mask in the input area:
printf '\033[1;37m' # Color for the type
pprint $((y+2)) $((x-10)) '\u2588' # Block for the type
printf '\033[1;36m' # Color for the permision
pprint $((y+2)) $((x- 9)) '\u2588%.0s' {1..9} # Blocks for the permission
## Loop through all variables to make a proper input:
for var in type {user,group,other}_{r,w,x}; do
## Assign colors and regex to fields:
case "$var" in
(type) color='\033[1;37m'; regex='^[fdlpscb]$' ;;
(other_x) regex='^[-xtT]$' ;;&
(user_x|group_x) regex='^[-xsS]$' ;;&
(user_[rw]|group_[rw]|other_[rw]) regex="^[-${var: -1}]$";;&
(user*) color='\033[1;32m' ;;
(group*) color='\033[1;33m' ;;
(other*) color='\033[1;31m' ;;
esac
## Change the pointer position:
pprint $((y+3)) $(((x-10)+pointer)) "${color}\u2501" # Print the pointer on its new position
if (( pointer > 0 )); then # If the pointer is not in the first position:
pprint $((y+3)) $(((x-10)+(pointer-1))) '\033[1;35m\u2501' # Clear the old pointer
fi
## Infinite loop until there is a valid input for the current character:
while :; do
printf "$color" # Set the character color
IFS= read -rn 1 $var # Read a character (even if it's a space)
declare $var="${!var// /-}" # Convert spaces to hyphens.
if [[ "$var" == "type" ]]; then # If the current variable is type:
declare $var="${!var//-/f}" # Convert "-" to "f"
fi
if [[ "${!var}" =~ $regex ]]; then # If there is a valid input:
reset # Clear error notification if any
break # Exit from this loop
else # Else:
notify "\033[1;31mWrong input!" # Print the error message
fi
done
## Print the entered value:
pprint $((y+2)) $(((x-10)+pointer)) "${!var}"
## Sum the current permission:
((mode+=permission[${var%_*}_${!var}]))
## Increment the pointer:
((pointer++))
done
## Post-read:
unset pointer # Reset the pointer
pprint $((y+3)) $((x-1)) "\033[1;35m\u2501" # Clear the pointer
read -n 1 # Wait for Return or another character
## Sum file descriptor type:
((mode+=${types[$type]}))
## Final commands:
mode=$(printf "%o" $mode) # Convert mode to octal (before this was decimal)
notify "\033[1;32mOctal mode:\033[1;34m $mode" # Print the octal mode
unset mode # Reset the mode
done
View script on GitHub
Handicaps
- The folder doesn't open. You can't open it unless you put on it the "raw folder data" that contained it originally.
Further reading
https://ext4.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Ext4_Disk_Layout#Inode_Table
Thanks to @tallus. He gave me a great hint:
debugfs has a modify_inode command that allows you to edit an inode
directly which would allow you to set the file flag to a dir.
Best Answer
deletes only GPS tags in Exif metadata and XMP metadata, but might not delete all XMP GPS metadata at least by old exiftool. If you want to be sure that all GPS information will be deleted, and it does not matter if all XMP counterparts of Exif data will be deleted, replace
-xmp:geotag=
by-xmp-exif:all=
. (Note that there might also be other location information in metadata besides GPS information, even in IPTC metadata.)