Ubuntu Wiki

This is the documentation for AutoFsck V3, released on November 17th 2007

Introduction

AutoFsck is now more configurable to the user than ever, and due to this, it deserves some documentation. If you haven't already, you can download it and follow the installation instructions at the main AutoFsck page.

Configuring AutoFsck

After you have installed AutoFsck, there will be a new entry in your desktop menus, in Ubuntu it is System --> Administration --> Periodic Disk Checking. On other systems, such as Kubuntu or Xubuntu, the menu item will still be called Periodic Disk Checking but will be in a different location. Alternatively, you can access the AutoFsck configuration by running autofsck --menu.

When you have clicked the menu item, or run autofsck --menu you'll be faced with the AutoFsck configuration menu (which includes a help option at the bottom).

To select a menu item, click it and then click OK, to exit the menu, click Cancel.

Disable / Enable Audible Prompt

By default AutoFsck produces an audio prompt when the window appears asking if you would like to check your disks. This can be very useful if you're in the habit of quickly turning off your monitor after shutting down. With the audio prompt enabled, your attention will be drawn back to the computer and thus you wont leave it turned on, with the monitor turned off, for extended periods of time.

If you select this option from the menu, you will be guided through disabling the prompt (if it is currently enabled), or enabling it (if it is currently disabled).

Set Frequency of Checks

If you select this menu option you will be guided through setting the frequency of the checks that AutoFsck will run. The frequency of the checks is not actually decided by AutoFsck, but is a property of the filesystems on your disks, so I cannot tell you what it will currently be set to, but the default is usually around 30-40.

This number refers to how many times the filesystem is 'mounted' before the check occurs, on most systems this will work out to be the number of times the system boots. So if you turn on your system on average once per day, and you set the check frequency to 30, AutoFsck will prompt you to check your disks every 30 days.

Check on Shutdown/Reboot

The default way for AutoFsck to check the disks is to interrupt the shutdown of the computer and instead cause it to restart. After this restart, the checks are run and then finally AutoFsck turns the computer off.

The alternate method to check the disks is to interrupt the shutdown, run the checks then, and then power off the machine.

On the face of it, the second option seems more streamlined, and generally better. However, experience with using both methods has shown that the second is less predictable, and less reliable.

Some users need to use the second method (checking on shutdown), for example they may dual boot with another operating system, and it may be set to be the default one, so AutoFsck would restart the system, and rather than the checks running, the other operating system would load.

Selecting Check on Shutdown/Reboot from the menu will guide you through changing from checking on shutdown, to checking after a reboot, or visa versa.

Arrange Checks Now / Test

Selecting this option will cause AutoFsck to behave as if checks were required and set them up. Note that this will not actually start the checks, but simply set them up, to run them you have to close the AutoFsck menu and then shut down your computer.

More Information / Help

This option will bring up brief help document.