fsck

FSCK(8)                      System Manager's Manual                     FSCK(8)

NAME
     fsck – filesystem consistency check and interactive repair

SYNOPSIS
     fsck -p [-f]
     fsck [-l maxparallel] [-q] [-y] [-n] [-d]

DESCRIPTION
     The first form of fsck preens a standard set of filesystems or the
     specified filesystems.  It is normally used in the script /etc/rc during
     automatic reboot.  Here fsck reads the filesystem descriptor table (using
     getfsent(3)) to determine which filesystems to check.  Only partitions that
     have ``rw,'' ``rq'' or ``ro'' as options, and that have non-zero pass
     number 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 shortest prefix
     of the device name that ends in one or more digits; the remaining
     characters are assumed to be the partition designator.  In preening mode,
     filesystems that are marked clean are skipped.  Filesystems are marked
     clean when they are unmounted, when they have been mounted read-only, or
     when fsck runs on them successfully.

     It should be noted that fsck is now essentially a wrapper that invokes
     other fsck_XXX utilities as needed.  Currently, fsck can invoke fsck_hfs,
     fsck_apfs, fsck_msdos, fsck_exfat, and fsck_udf.  If this underlying
     process that fsck invokes encounters serious inconsistencies or the
     filesystem type is not one of the above, 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.

     If sent a QUIT signal, fsck 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 audits and interactively repairs inconsistent
     conditions for filesystems.  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.  If the operator does not have write permission on
     the filesystem fsck will default to a -n action.

     The following flags are interpreted by fsck and passed along to the
     underlying tool that it spawns.

     -f      Force fsck to check `clean' filesystems when preening.

     -l      Limit the number of parallel checks to the number specified in the
             following argument.  By default, the limit is the number of disks,
             running one process per disk.  If a smaller limit is given, the
             disks are checked round-robin, one filesystem at a time.

     -R      Specify a particular passno number for which fsck is to check.  You
             may only specify 1 or 2.  Only those filesystems matching that
             particular passno entry (if using fstab) will be checked.  For more
             information on the passno field, see fstab(5).

     -p      "Preen" mode, described above.

     -q      Do a quick check to determine if the filesystem was unmounted
             cleanly.

     -y      Assume a yes response to all questions asked by fsck; 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 except for
             ‘CONTINUE?’, which is assumed to be affirmative; do not open the
             filesystem for writing.

     If no filesystems are given to fsck then a default list of filesystems is
     read using getfsent(3).

     Because of inconsistencies between the block device and the buffer cache,
     the raw device should always be used.

SEE ALSO
     fs(5), fsck_hfs(8), fsck_apfs(8), fsck_msdos(8), getfsent(3), fstab(5,)
     reboot(8)

BSD 4                             May 18, 2010                             BSD 4