If one keeps the /boot and /root directories on two small partitions one can
avoid having to reboot byt simply unmounting the FS you want to fsck and then
remounting whil the system is up. This is one of the major bnefits of proper
lartitioning. But then again.. I hate having to down a system.. (that's why I
don't run win2k)....
On Wed, 18 Oct 2000, you wrote:
> Hi Drew --
>
> I'm posting this to the users group also as there are many new Linux
> users who might like to have this info.
>
> The Linux OS uses the ext2 filesystem which is considerably different
> from the vfat32 system of MS. As I mentioned earlier today (or started
> to),
> Linux checks the filesystem every so often at boot time. In the file
> /etc/fstab, if you look at it with the mc command, you will see
> something
> like -
>
> /dev/hda1 / ext2 defaults 1 1
> /dev/hda2 swap swap defaults 0 0
> /dev/hda3 /home ext2 defaults 1 2
>
> The last numeric column sets the presidence of filesystem checking. Root
> (/)
> is, or should be set to 1 as it is the most important tree to check.
> Swap is
> set to 0 as it never needs checking, and home is set to 2 as it's less
> in need
> of checking.
>
> Anyway, to check the FS when you want to or need to because of an
> unforeseen
> FS corruption (yes, it sometimes happens), here is how I was instructed:
>
> 1. Use the installation floppies you made to install Linux to boot your
> system.
> (Slackware uses a boot disk and root disk which are appropriate for this
> purpose. Other distributions you may want to use a rescue disk - see
> /usr/doc/Linux-HOW-TO's/Bootdisk HOW-TO for details on making this,
> especially
> the appendix "Pre-made bootdisks.) This is important as you cannot
> safely or
> completely check a mounted filesystem.
>
> 2. At the command line, type the command - mount /dev/hda1 /mnt - and
> enter.
>
> 3. type the command - cd /mnt/usr/sbin - and enter.
>
> 4. type the command - cp e2fsck /bin - and enter.
>
> 5. type the command - cd / - and enter.
>
> 6. type the command - umount /mnt - and enter.
>
> 7. type the command - e2fsck -a /dev/hda1 - and enter. This will preform
> a
> series of operations analogous to scandisk and defrag in windoze!
>
> 8. When e2fsck is through, reboot with ctrl-alt-del. Be sure to remove
> the
> installation disks before rebooting as you want to start up with your
> newly
> refreshed filesystem.
>
> Hope this helps. (If anyone has a better plan to check and defrag the
> root FS
> or other distro information [specifically Mandrake 7.1], please post!
>
> --
> Woody Mims - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - 541/684-0974
>
> "All energy flows according to the whim of the Great Magnet"
> - Hunter S. Thompson
