Ubuntu Wiki

Please consider supporting AutoFsck by reading, and possibly signing the petition at the bottom of this page.

AutoFsck is a script which automates periodic disk checking in such a way that it no longer bothers the user at boot every 30-ish times, and is streamlined in a friendly graphical user interface.

AutoFsck ensures that the automatic disk check will no longer inconvenience you by making your boot times very long.

AutoFsck blueprint in launchpad

How Does it Work?

It's really quite simple, every time you shut down, AutoFsck finds information on your disks. Every linux partition has two important number associated with it, one is the number of times it has been mounted, the other is the number of times it is allowed to before being checked. AutoFsck looks at these, and if your drives are due for checking it asks if you want to check them. If you say yes, your drives are checked before your computer shuts down. If you say no, AutoFsck will ensure that the check will not run next time your computer boots. You will then be prompted again the next time you shut down.

NOTE - AutoFsck is not dangerous, it does not stop fsck from running if the filesystem in question is flagged as unclean during boot.

Requirements:

At present, AutoFsck works on Ubuntu and derivatives (for example kubuntu and xubuntu). More specifically, AutoFsck requires you to be using either GDM (the Gnome Display Manger) or KDM (the KDE Display Manager) to log in. You can use any window manager or desktop environment (Gnome, KDE, Openbox, IceWM etc) so long as you are logging in through GDM or KDM (for example Xubuntu uses GDM).

Download

Click here to go to download AutoFsck - see below for installation instructions.

See the AutoFsck v3.2 documentation at AutoFsck/Doc

You can also download the script as a tar.gz. This is only intended for people who need to customise AutoFsck, do not download this unless you know what you are doing. Click here to brows the AutoFsck files and download the script.

Installation

Installing AutoFsck v3.2 is easy - you can install over the top of AutoFsck 2.0 or later:

• Download the archive from the link above.
• Either select 'open' from the download dialogue, or save the file and then double click it.
• When gdebi (the graphical .deb install manager) opens, click the 'install' button to install the package.
• Note that during the install, the terminal window in gdebi may ask whether you want to keep your version, or use the new version of the configuration file autofsckrc, it is recommended that you keep your version.

• If you want to remove Autofsck at any time, use synaptic (System --> Administration --> Synaptic Package Manager) to remove the package 'autofsck'.

Troubleshooting:

It seems that after installing AutoFsck, some people are prompted by it on every shutdown. To fix this, change the frequency of the checks using the configuration menu (see AutoFsck/Doc for details).

• Changing the frequency of the checks may not be enough once it starts doing this (it wasn't for me). Jonathon suggested the following workaround, which did the trick:

  • Get the list of partitions: sudo fdisk -l

    Reset the mount count on each partition: sudo tune2fs -C 1 /dev/sda1 (for example)

    • Note that the latter command won't work (and isn't needed) on partitions that fsck doesn't handle (e.g. swap or Windows partitions). ~ncoghlan

If you have any other problems, please contact me: jmusther@gmail.com

News:

32st April:

AutoFsck v3.2 has been tested on the upcoming 8.04 release of Ubuntu, and seems to work perfectly. Further public testing and feedback is appreciated.

32st April:

AutoFsck v3.2 has been tested on the upcoming 8.04 release of Ubuntu, and seems to work perfectly. Further public testing and feedback is appreciated.

• Small bugfix regarding logging out and then shutting down later.

3rd December 2007:

AutoFsck v3.1 has been released. This version has provides a small bug-fix and some improved functionality:

• The prompt on shutdown now has a 2 minute time-out. If you don't notice the prompt, your computer will not remain on, but continue to shutdown after 2 minutes.
• When setting the frequency of the checks, the previously selected frequency will be displayed.

17th November 2007:

AutoFsck v3.0 has been released. This version has quite a number of changes:

• Added KDM support.

• Added a configuration GUI - see AutoFsck/Doc for full details

  • Audio prompt can be disabled/enabled
  • Check can be done on shutdown or after a quick reboot (machine is then halted)
    • The reboot method is default as it is more reliable.
  • Frequency of checks (max_mount_count) can be changed from the GUI
  • A test can be run.
  • A small 'quick help' screen.
• Changed the prompts to make them easier to read.

• Changed the way AutoFsck runs the checks (through init)

• Restructured the code to make things neater.

3rd October 2007:

AutoFsck v2.5 has been released. This version improves a couple of things:

• The disk checks now occur on shutdown - rebooting is no longer required!
• When the prompt appears on shutdown, there is an audio prompt - some people were turning off their monitor and not seeing the prompt.

This page has been updated so see below for further information and downloads.

31st August 2007:

AutoFsck is now distributed as a .deb, which is very helpful! Even if you already have Autofsck installed, please download and install the .deb as it will mean that it's easier to upgrade or remove in the future.

Further Information About AutoFsck

AutoFsck was created by Jonathan Musther (jmusther@gmail.com), it is released under the GNU General Public License, please use it and modify it as you want to.

It was designed specifically for Ubuntu (and derivatives), and has so far been tested on:

• Ubuntu 7.04 - The Feisty Fawn
• Ubuntu 7.10 - The Gutsy Gibbon
• Kubuntu 7.10 - The Gutsy Gibbon
• Xubuntu 7.10 - The Gutsy Gibbon
• Ubuntu 8.04 - The Hardy Heron

If you know of other systems on which AutoFsck works, Ubuntu or otherwise, please add them here.

AutoFsck is likely to work on any GNU/Linux system which uses GDM or KDM for it's graphical login.

Inclusion in Ubuntu

From the activity on the forums regarding the annoyance of the forced disk checks, I feel that AutoFsck, or at least something with its functionality should be included in the main Ubuntu Distribution as a dependency of Ubuntu-Desktop (as it is of dubious use on the server etc).

If you (the users) agree, please help me promote AutoFsck and get it included in the next release - 8.04.

See discussion on ubuntu-devel mailing list.

• AutoFsck - Technical Review thread

• AutoFsck inclusion criteria

Feedback, Suggestions, Comments etc

If you have any feedback, suggestions or comments, please post them below or email me; jmusther@gmail.com

Feedback/Discussion

• PLEASE NOTE - I have removed all comments which have been addressed in version 2.0 or 2.5

Technical Details

Coming soon for AutoFsck v3.

Comments

Is every piece of text translatable in PO files? (a must for Ubuntu inclusion)

Is there a log kept by fsck or autofsck in case the fsck failed & perhaps why it failed?

• A log is kept by fsck in /var/log/fsck/

That dialogue could use some love:

• A title - something like "Scheduled disk check"
• More descriptive buttons - "[Continue Shutdown] [Check disks]"

  • Unfortunately, this isn't possible with the current implementation, as zenity is used for dialogues.

In Hardy, USplash now lets you skip the disk check, and shows a progress bar when it happens, so AutoFsck should no longer be needed. --MuratGunes

• While the splash screen change is a definite improvement over the old behaviour, it is still vastly inferior to deferring the fsck execution to shutdown (you know, when I've just indicated I'm not going to be using the computer for a while anyway). If I didn't want to use my computer now I wouldn't be switching it on. ~ncoghlan

From the launchpad feedback requests: it would be nice if the unattended behaviour at shutdown was configurable (i.e. how long the timeout should be before deciding the shutdown is unattended, and whether no response means "yes, run fsck", or "no, don't run fsck"). For example, on my desktop, I would probably turn off the audio warning, set the timeout to 15 seconds or so, and flag no response as indicating it is OK to proceed with the automatic restart and filesystem check. ~ncoghlan

AutoFsck (or similar) Petition

It has been well established that many users are unhappy with the way that fsck interrupts the boot process after a pre-determined number of boots.

Running fsck in this way is a 'just in case' check; it's purpose is to safeguard against filesystem errors which may arise during normal use, not to resolve specific issues which can be predicted (such as errors when the system is powered down without unmounting the filesystems). In protecting against this fsck does a great job, however the implementation, from a usability point of view, is severely lacking.

Ubuntu strives to be a Linux distribution 'for human beings', it aims to be simple for every day users, and powerful for advanced ones. Ubuntu is run by people in all walks of life on desktops, laptops and servers, and for many of those people, specifically the ones using laptops, waiting for a disk check on boot is simply unacceptable. This is a 'major usability issue.'

To fix this usability issue, AutoFsck was created. AutoFsck isn't a perfect implementation, but it does solve the usability issue and even when the implementation lets them down, most users agree that the functionality presented to the user, is in line with what the distribution should be doing by default.

Many users of AutoFsck have contacted me, asking how they can promote it with the specific goal of having it, or something providing its functionality, included in the default Ubuntu (non-server) install. There is a launchpad blueprint, and I have tried to promote this, but so far I have had no success.

So to further the goal of getting something which provides functionality in line with AutoFsck into the Ubuntu distribution, I created this wiki petition.

To sign it, please add your name, email address (or link) and any comment to the table below.

• If you are uncomfortable supplying your email address, then don't, or replace it with a link, perhaps to your ubuntuforums profile.

• If you're uncomfortable supplying your real, or full name, just use your first name.

• If you are not confident editing a wiki, email your details to me and I will add them for you: jmusther@gmail.com