[SOLVED] How do I check filesystem type?

LAPIII · 03-28-2011, 07:28 PM

fsck gave me:

Code:

fsck from util-linux-ng 2.17.2
e2fsck 1.41.11 (14-Mar-2010)
/dev/sda1 is mounted.  

WARNING!!!  The filesystem is mounted.   If you continue you ***WILL***
cause ***SEVERE*** filesystem damage.

Do you really want to continue (y/n)?

I don't want to cause damage, but I'd rather not go into BIOS.

camorri · 03-28-2011, 07:43 PM

You don't need to go into the BIOS. You run e2fsck on an unmounted partition, not on one that is mounted.

So, as the root user you umount the partition, then run e2fsck on an ext2, ext3 or ext4 file system. One easy way to know is look at your /etc/fstab file. The file system type is in there for each mounted partition.

LAPIII · 03-28-2011, 08:05 PM

Since I don't use all of my HDD, wouldn't I have an unmounted partion? Would unmounting this partion, with Ubuntu on it, cause any damage and then when mounted again?

camorri · 03-28-2011, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Would unmounting this partion, with Ubuntu on it, cause any damage and then when mounted again?

No, umounting a partition takes it out of the file system, so the system can not access it while it is being checked ( and possibly corrected.

If it is the root partition, you can boot from a live CD, and check it.

themanwhowas · 03-28-2011, 08:25 PM

You could start gparted or whatever and it should display the filesystems of each partition

tommylovell · 03-28-2011, 08:50 PM

The live CD advice is sound and is probably the easiest route.

If a filesystem is open (a long running program is resident there, someone has cd'd into a directory in that file system, etc.) then you can't unmount it.

(You appear to be aware of this, as you gave us your 'fsck', but for the benefit of others: as almost all commands require root access, you'll either need to proceed each command with "sudo", or switch to the root account with 'su -l root'. You'll need to open a terminal session to enter "line mode" commands. Be extremely careful when root.)

If you do a 'mount' command (with no options) it'll show you what device is mounted at what mountpoint in the file system.

E.g. the root filesystem ('/') shown with the 'mount' command

Code:

/dev/sda1 on / type ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro)

The /etc/fstab entry that caused the device to be mounted at boot time...

Code:

/dev/sda5     /     ext4     errors=remount-ro     0  1

To see if a filesystem has open files on it use the 'lsof' command.
E.g.

Code:

lsof +d /

If open files you can't 'umount' it. It'd say

Code:

umount: /: device is busy.

The easiest way to force a fsck of a filesystem that cannot be unmounted on Ubuntu, you can set the "mount count" to a value higher than the "max-mount-counts" then reboot. When the system comes back up, it will do an fsck on that filesystem as part of the reboot.

So on my little Ubuntu netbook, I can do

Code:

tune2ef -C 10000 /dev/sda5

(do a 'man tune2fs' for an explanation.)

Then reboot.

There may be an easier way to do this as I'm not terribly Debian or Ubuntu literate, but what I described should work. I invite comment from those better versed in Ubuntu than I. And as I mentioned, the live CD is a good option.

LAPIII · 03-28-2011, 09:06 PM

I installed gparted from the package manager and navigated to Partion > Information. It reads that my file system is ext4.