Ubuntu 9.04 with file issues Cross posted by intent- we're supposed to compare notes on such problems - I hope.

[Jack]

--- On Fri, 9/10/10, Hal Duston wrote:

...
> thread do not
> > > run "fsck -y".
> > > > That is just flat out dangerous, and could
> really
> > > screw up your fs.
> > > > Seriously, why did they ever add that
> option?  
...
> > > 
> > > Something to do with not wanting to press "y"
> 10,000 times,
> > > I expect.
> > 
> > Lol, well if you have 10,000 multiply linked inodes,
> your time would
> > be better used in running fdisk rather than fsck. It
> was my impression
> > the original poster only had a few multiply linked
> inodes.
> > 
...
> 
> So, if your find yourself at the point of pressing 'y'
> thousands of
> times and don't have a the budget to hire an expert to
> carefully
> research out the proper response to each of the questions
> nor the
> knowledge to do the research yourself, and don't have a
> backup of your
> data; you would be better served by packing up your system,
> returning it
> to the place of purchase and going back to using a pencil,
> pen or at the
> most a Smith-Corona as you are clearly to stupid to own a
> computer.
> 

I wouldn't necessarily say that. If your system is so messed up the you have thousands of multiply linked errors, it's clearly a sign of something seriously wrong. Considering the filesystem is the lifeblood of any system, it would be wise to get someone who is experienced with filesystems to help, when a serious issue like that crop up. 

I fiddle with my own car, but wouldn't begin to try to rebuild/repair the engine myself, even though I know what all the major parts are and where they go.

Just because an option exists for a program doesn't mean it's a good idea to use it, without knowing what you're doing. But, quite a few listers think it's fine. I don't. 

But, I guess, I did make some statements that were taken more seriously than they were meant to be.

If I had a system reporting thousands of fs errors, I'd dd it to another device, wipe the drive/partition, do some serious forensics on the device, (buy a new drive,) and try to retrieve any salvageable files from the (too little too late backup). The "y" option might be fine 9 times out of 10 or 999:1000, but what about that other time? I guess it really all depends on how important your files are to you. Although, if you know what you're doing the "y" option is ok. I don't see much purpose to it, in most cases. There are safer less destructive alternatives.

But then, if the files were important you backed them up right? Although, that's not always a fix either. Several years back, my production disk died, suddenly without warning. Then my alternate died within a few days, and my secondary backup right after. I failed to make a new backup after the first crash. By the second crash it was too late. Then my final DVD back up was unreadable. All I had left were very old backups and partials. Months of important stuff gone.

Jack