[Bug 58430] Re: Command-line recovery required when fsck reports an unexpectedy inconsistency

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On 2008-09-19T00:56:17+00:00 Olivier wrote:

When fsck on boot fails, it dumps the user into a shell.. and unless he
is a Unix sysadmin, he will be lost.

Solution: Replace the current message with something like:

Repairing your file system may cause errors!!! Do you want to: [F]orce
Repair, get to a [S]hell or [R]eboot:

Reply at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/util-
linux/+bug/58430/comments/13

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On 2008-09-19T01:01:28+00:00 Bill wrote:

1) Just rebooting when fsck fails is ... going to fail again. That's not useful.
2) If it fails to the point when you get a shell, forcing a fsck won't work - it dies because -y doesn't work.

Which leaves dropping to a shell, which is what we do.

Reply at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/util-
linux/+bug/58430/comments/14

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On 2008-09-19T01:25:30+00:00 Jack wrote:

Still, this is a moment of utter panic and confusion for anyone
inexperienced with fsck. That's a lot of desktop Linux users. (Won't
anyone think of the grandmothers!) The present interface simply abandons
the user; it needs to be more guiding. If a fsck -y fails, then it
should explain why it failed, what files might be gone, or if all hope
is lost...

Reply at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/util-
linux/+bug/58430/comments/15

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On 2008-09-19T01:51:25+00:00 Olivier wrote:

1) Rebooting can be useful if you want to reboot onto something else (a
usb key or a rescue network boot or whatever and for some reason you
can't directly access the power key).. alright, not that useful..

1.1) I agree we need to keep the current "drop me to a shell" for the
few people who understand debugfs and other exciting tools.

2) It currently doesn't try -y, it tries -a ... which will only do "safe
repairs", -y can often help. (unless -y is in /fsckoptions..)

3) Even if -y fails, there should really be more help.

For the the case I had today (using F9), the user got it working just by
doing "fsck /dev/...." and answering "y" a few times, so -y would have
definitely worked.

Reply at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/util-
linux/+bug/58430/comments/16

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On 2008-09-19T08:25:18+00:00 Sitsofe wrote:

Whenever I've tried to "repair" a filesystem using fsck -y the
filesystem has been destroyed and would no longer even get to /bin/bash
the next time round. In my experience if the system is asking you this
question you are already in trouble and at a bare minimum you have to
understand what /lost+found means.

Reply at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/util-
linux/+bug/58430/comments/17

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On 2009-06-10T02:45:06+00:00 Bug wrote:


This message is a reminder that Fedora 9 is nearing its end of life.
Approximately 30 (thirty) days from now Fedora will stop maintaining
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this bug will be closed as WONTFIX if it remains open with a Fedora 
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Reply at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/util-
linux/+bug/58430/comments/18

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On 2009-06-10T15:46:16+00:00 Bill wrote:

I'm still not sure what sort of useful guiding information could be here
that doesn't require 2 screens of data and a sysadmin background.
Closing for now.

Reply at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/util-
linux/+bug/58430/comments/19


** Changed in: fedora
   Importance: Unknown => Medium

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/58430

Title:
  Command-line recovery required when fsck reports an unexpectedy
  inconsistency

Status in util-linux package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in Fedora:
  Won't Fix

Bug description:
  When there is an ext3 filesystem error and fsck fails to correct it,
  the system becomes unusable.  It asks the user to perform fsck
  manually in a very cryptic way.  The average user can in no way
  understand what has happened to their system.  In most cases a simple
  fsck /dev/hdaX (whatever partition required the check) will end up
  solving the problem.  This should be done automatically.

  Here is the output of what happened to a friend of mine who rebooted
  and had to use windows because they couldn't start ubuntu:

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  The following appears when i try to boot ubuntu:

  dev/hda2 contains a file system with errors-check forced

  unexpected inconsistency RUN fsck manually without -a or -p options

  an automatic file system check of the root file system failed

  a manual fsck must be performed then system rebooted
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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