Ext3 users - Jan 2002 - Should fs_passno in /etc/fstab be always set to 0

That seems to be the indication given by this webpage
http://www.zip.com.au/~akpm/linux/ext3/ext3-usage.html

However, default install of Redhat 7.2 setsup fs_passno(6th field of
/etc/fstab) as 2 which asks you if you want to run fsck after an unclean
shutdown

The question is, is fsck required after an unclean shutdown or should
one just rely on journal replay. What does fsck do when it sees an
unclean ext3 filesystem

Regards, Yusuf

-- 
Yusuf Goolamabbas
yusufg@outblaze.com

Hi,

On Wed, Jan 30, 2002 at 01:14:56PM +0800, Yusuf Goolamabbas wrote:
 
> However, default install of Redhat 7.2 setsup fs_passno(6th field of
> /etc/fstab) as 2 which asks you if you want to run fsck after an unclean
> shutdown
No, it doesn't!  The prompt in Red Hat 7.2 asks you if you want to
force a *full* fsck.
> The question is, is fsck required after an unclean shutdown or should
> one just rely on journal replay. What does fsck do when it sees an
> unclean ext3 filesystem
By default, fsck on an unclean ext3 just replays the journal.
Passno==2 is correct --- it will force journal replay on the ext3
filesystems, and will give fsck a chance to do its usual maintainance
jobs (checking for forced fscks after a set interval, detecting error
conditions on the fs which force a full fsck, etc.)

Cheers,
 Stephen