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  • From: 3aoo-cvfd AT dea.spamcon.org
  • To: BasicLinux List <baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [BL] e2fsck on BL3
  • Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2007 11:33:53 +1300

BL3 has an old version of e2fsck that takes longer
to check the filesystem than more recent versions.
This is not an issue on the 20mb loop file (the check
is hardly noticeable). However, if you install BL3
to a 500mb filesystem (as I have just done), there
is a definite delay.

One way to stop this delay is to bypass e2fsck.
This is easily done by putting a # in front of the
e2fsck line in /etc/rc. That will stop all e2fscks.
However, that's not a good idea. At the very least
you need a e2fsck following a dirty shutdown. You
can do this by putting the following at the beginning
of the e2fsck line in /etc/rc
-----------------------
[ -e /etc/check-fs ] &&
-----------------------
This is a conditional that checks for the existence
of a flag (check-fs). If the flag exists, the command
after && will be executed.

Then create a new line (immediately after the e2fsck
line). It sets the flag for the next system startup.
-------------------
touch /etc/check-fs
-------------------
If that flag is still there at the next system startup,
e2fsck (in the line above) will run.

The last step is to remove the flag when there is
a clean shutdown of the system. You do this by
editing /etc/inittab. The shutdown section should
look like this:
-----------------------------------------
::shutdown:/sbin/swapoff -a
::shutdown:/bin/rm /etc/check-fs
::shutdown:/sbin/umount -a -r 2>/dev/null
-----------------------------------------

So, when there is a clean shutdown, the flag is removed.
That stops e2fsck (in /etc/rc) at the next startup.
On the other hand, if there is a power failure or other
dirty shutdown, the check-fs file remains (thereby
triggering e2fsck at the next startup).

Note: the instructions in /etc/inittab are implement at
system startup; therefore, any changes you make
will not occur until the next startup. That means
any changes to the shutdown procedure will not occur
until after the system is rebooted.

Cheers,
Steven




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