www/content/blog/miscellaneous/link-deleted-inode.md

---
title: "Link to a deleted inode"
date: 2018-03-05
description: How to restore a hardlink to a deleted inode
tags:
  - unix
---

## The problem

Sometimes a file gets deleted by mistake, but thankfully it is still opened by some software.

## The solution

Get the inode number from `lsof` (or from `fstat` if you are on a modern system), then run something like the following :

{{< highlight sh >}}
debugfs -w /dev/mapper/vg-home -R 'link <16008> /some/path'
{{< /highlight >}}

In this example 16008 is the inode number you want to link to (the < > are important, they tell debugfs you are manipulating an inode). Beware that **the path is relative to the root of the block device** you are restoring onto.
Long overdue first commit with content 2020-04-28 17:29:52 +02:00			`---`
			`title: "Link to a deleted inode"`
			`date: 2018-03-05`
Some more articles reformatting 2021-03-12 18:12:41 +01:00			`description: How to restore a hardlink to a deleted inode`
			`tags:`
			`- unix`
Long overdue first commit with content 2020-04-28 17:29:52 +02:00			`---`

Some more articles reformatting 2021-03-12 18:12:41 +01:00			`## The problem`
Long overdue first commit with content 2020-04-28 17:29:52 +02:00
Some more articles reformatting 2021-03-12 18:12:41 +01:00			`Sometimes a file gets deleted by mistake, but thankfully it is still opened by some software.`

			`## The solution`

			Get the inode number from `lsof` (or from `fstat` if you are on a modern system), then run something like the following :

			`{{< highlight sh >}}`
			`debugfs -w /dev/mapper/vg-home -R 'link <16008> /some/path'`
			`{{< /highlight >}}`

			`In this example 16008 is the inode number you want to link to (the < > are important, they tell debugfs you are manipulating an inode). Beware that the path is relative to the root of the block device you are restoring onto.`