fsck_ffs - Fast File System consistency check and interactive repair
fsck_ffs -p [-f] [-m mode]
fsck_ffs [-f] [-b block#] [-c level] [-y] [-n] [-m mode]
[filesystem] ...
The first form of fsck_ffs preens a standard set of filesystems or the
specified filesystems. It is normally used in the script
/etc/rc during
automatic reboot. Here fsck_ffs reads the table /etc/fstab
to determine
which filesystems to check. Only partitions in fstab that
are mounted
``rw'', ``rq'', or ``ro'' and have non-zero pass numbers are
checked.
Filesystems with pass number 1 (normally just the root
filesystem) are
checked one at a time. When pass 1 completes, all remaining
filesystems
are checked, running one process per disk drive. The disk
drive containing
each filesystem is inferred from the longest prefix of
the device
name that ends in a digit; the remaining characters are assumed to be the
partition designator.
The kernel takes care that only a restricted class of innocuous filesystem
inconsistencies can happen unless hardware or software
failures intervene.
These are limited to the following:
Unreferenced inodes
Link counts in inodes too large
Missing blocks in the free map
Blocks in the free map also in files
Counts in the super-block wrong
These are the only inconsistencies that fsck_ffs with the -p
option will
correct; if it encounters other inconsistencies, it exits
with an abnormal
return status and an automatic reboot will then fail.
For each corrected
inconsistency one or more lines will be printed identifying the
filesystem on which the correction will take place, and the
nature of the
correction. After successfully correcting a filesystem,
fsck_ffs will
print the number of files on that filesystem, the number of
used and free
blocks, and the percentage of fragmentation.
If sent a QUIT signal, fsck_ffs will finish the filesystem
checks, then
exit with an abnormal return status that causes an automatic
reboot to
fail. This is useful when you want to finish the filesystem
checks during
an automatic reboot, but do not want the machine to come
up multiuser
after the checks complete.
Without the -p option, fsck_ffs audits and interactively repairs inconsistent
conditions for filesystems. If the filesystem is
inconsistent
the operator is prompted for concurrence before each correction is attempted.
It should be noted that some of the corrective actions which
are not correctable under the -p option will result in some
loss of data.
The amount and severity of data lost may be determined from
the diagnostic
output. The default action for each consistency correction is to
wait for the operator to respond ``yes'' or ``no''. If the
operator does
not have write permission on the filesystem, fsck_ffs will
default to a
-n action.
fsck has more consistency checks than its predecessors
check, dcheck,
fcheck, and icheck combined.
The following flags are interpreted by fsck_ffs:
-f Force checking of file systems. Normally, if a file
system is
cleanly unmounted, the kernel will set a ``clean
flag'' in the
file system superblock and fsck_ffs will not check
the file system.
This option forces fsck_ffs to check the file
system, regardless
of the state of the clean flag.
-b block#
Use the block specified as the super block for the
filesystem.
Block 32 is usually an alternate super block.
-m mode
Use the mode specified in octal as the permission
bits to use
when creating the lost+found directory rather than
the default
1700. In particular, systems that wish to have lost
files accessible
by all users on the system should use a less
restrictive
set of permissions such as 755.
-y Assume a ``yes'' response to all questions asked by
fsck_ffs;
this should be used with great caution as this is a
free license
to continue after essentially unlimited trouble has
been encountered.
-n Assume a ``no'' response to all questions asked by
fsck_ffs except
for ``CONTINUE?'', which is assumed to be affirmative; do
not open the filesystem for writing.
-c level
Convert the filesystem to the specified level. Note
that the
level of a filesystem can only be raised. There are
currently
four levels defined:
0 The filesystem is in the old (static table)
format.
1 The filesystem is in the new (dynamic table)
format.
2 The filesystem supports 32-bit UIDs and
GIDs, short symbolic
links are stored in the inode, and directories have
an added field showing the file type.
3 If maxcontig is greater than one, build the
free segment
maps to aid in finding contiguous sets of
blocks. If
maxcontig is equal to one, delete any existing segment
maps.
In interactive mode, fsck_ffs will list the conversion to be made
and ask whether the conversion should be done. If a
negative answer
is given, no further operations are done on the
filesystem.
In preen mode, the conversion is listed and done if
possible
without user interaction. Conversion in preen mode
is best used
when all the filesystems are being converted at
once. The format
of a filesystem can be determined from the first
line of output
from dumpfs(8).
If no filesystems are given to fsck_ffs then a default list
of filesystems
is read from the file /etc/fstab.
Inconsistencies checked are as follows:
1. Blocks claimed by more than one inode or the free map.
2. Blocks claimed by an inode outside the range of the
filesystem.
3. Incorrect link counts.
4. Size checks:
Directory size not a multiple of DIRBLKSIZ.
Partially truncated file.
5. Bad inode format.
6. Blocks not accounted for anywhere.
7. Directory checks:
File pointing to unallocated inode.
Inode number out of range.
Dot or dot-dot not the first two entries of a directory
or having
the wrong inode number.
8. Super Block checks:
More blocks for inodes than there are in the filesystem.
Bad free block map format.
Total free block and/or free inode count incorrect.
Orphaned files and directories (allocated but unreferenced)
are, with the
operator's concurrence, reconnected by placing them in the
lost+found directory.
The name assigned is the inode number. If the
lost+found directory
does not exist, it is created. If there is insufficient space
its size is increased.
Because of inconsistencies between the block device and the
buffer cache,
the raw device should always be used.
/etc/fstab contains default list of filesystems to check
The diagnostics produced by fsck_ffs are fully enumerated
and explained
in Appendix A of Fsck - The UNIX File System Check Program.
fs(5), fstab(5), fsck(8), fsdb(8), newfs(8), reboot(8)
OpenBSD 3.6 November 29, 1994
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