2.4.18 -> 2.6.8 yields ext3 errors?

[Bill Freeman]

Michael ODonnell writes:
 > ...
 > Since they're running Debian I said "apt-get install
 > kernel-image-2.6.8.whatever" and the installation
 > occurred without incident on both machines.  Now that
 > the dust has settled both systems boot their 2.6.8
 > kernels and mount their ext3 root disks just fine and
 > come all the way up - well, they get a good long way.
 > But when it comes time to mount any of the other
 > ext3 filesystems they all fail with "device is busy
 > or filesystem is already mounted" which is very
 > mysterious since the filesystems in question do NOT
 > appear to be mounted and the devices in question are
 > NOT busy.
 > ...

	I wonder whether there could have been an incompatible format
change in, say, /etc/mtab.  If there's a stale copy from the earlier
kernel, and the code in mount that reads it fails because of a format
change, something higher up may not adequately distinguish that error
from "already mounted".

	Did the appropriate package that includes mount get upgraded?

	These are, of course, just guesses.

							Bill