RE:regarding the .journal file under ext3,

[Andrew Agno <agno@AI.SRI.COM>]

Walter Tautz writes:
 > how do I make it invisible? I converted existing ext2 file systems
 > while they were mounted.

I'm not sure that you can, unless you remove the file, unmount the
filesystem, and then add the journal again.

Something like (assuming /dev/blah is mounted at /blah):

% # make backups!!
% chattr -i /blah/.journal
% rm /blah/.journal
% umount /dev/blah
% tune2fs ^has_journal /dev/blah
% e2fsck /dev/blah # if tune2fs asks for it
% tune2fs -j /dev/blah
% e2fsck /dev/blah # if tune2fs asks for it
% mount /dev/blah

Andrew.