1. Goal
Use fsck during maintenance on the correct device and avoid repair checks on a mounted filesystem.
2. Files and components involved
/sbin/fsck.ext4
/dev/sdXN
/etc/fstab
3. Operational flow
umount /dev/sdXN
fsck.ext4 -f /dev/sdXN
use rescue per critical filesystems
4. Operational verification
dmesg
tail -n 20
tune2fs -l /dev/sdXN
grep Filesystem state
5. Practical notes
Before touching disks, mounts, and filesystems, note the UUIDs, current outputs, and the latest valid backup available.
When you work on storage and filesystems, the rule stays the same: first identify the right device, then modify, and finally verify.
Quick checklist
[ ] Backup or copy of the existing configuration completed
[ ] Files and commands updated as expected
[ ] Local test completed successfully
[ ] Logs or final output verified
[ ] Rollback procedure documented