Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!n8emr!uncle!donlash
From: donlash@uncle.uucp (Donald Lashomb)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: fsck safe in run level 2?
Message-ID: <1990Jul3.110410.21333@uncle.uucp>
Date: 3 Jul 90 11:04:10 GMT
References: <970007@teecs.UUCP>
Reply-To: donlash@uncle.UUCP (Donald Lashomb)
Organization: U.N.C.L.E.
Lines: 25

In article <970007@teecs.UUCP> belkin@teecs.UUCP (Hershel Belkin) writes:
>
>I have often heard/read that fsck should not be run on a mounted
>file system, and further, should never be run while in multi-user
[...]
>disc activity.  But is there any possibility that fsck could
>*cause* a problem (again, assuming "-n" responses)??
[...]


I see no problem as long as you use "fsck -n".  Make sure you use the "-n"
option on the command line, don't depend on manually answering "No" to
fsck's questions to protect your filesystem from changes.  On my system,
if fsck is run without the "-n" option, it makes some changes to the
filesystem even if you answer "No" to all its questions ( clears empty
files, If memory serves ).  Using the "-n" command line option, fsck
announces "Read-only mode" upon startup.  I assume, it therefore will
not make any changes to the filesystem, no matter what.

BTW- I also run fsck on my root (mounted of course) filesystem regularly.
I do this this in single-user mode, however.  I do an immediate reboot
after running fsck.  In fact, fsck forces an immediate reboot under some
conditions (eg using "fsck -S" to cleanup the freelist).

-Don		donlash@uncle.UUCP