/usr/bin/fsck.ext4 --help — Chainguard OS Manuals

From e2fsprogs 1.47.4-r5 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running fsck.ext4 --help (exit 16). permalink

/usr/bin/fsck.ext4: invalid option -- '-'
Usage: /usr/bin/fsck.ext4 [-panyrcdfktvDFV] [-b superblock] [-B blocksize]
		[-l|-L bad_blocks_file] [-C fd] [-j external_journal]
		[-E extended-options] [-z undo_file] device

Emergency help:
 -p                   Automatic repair (no questions)
 -n                   Make no changes to the filesystem
 -y                   Assume "yes" to all questions
 -c                   Check for bad blocks and add them to the badblock list
 -f                   Force checking even if filesystem is marked clean
 -v                   Be verbose
 -b superblock        Use alternative superblock
 -B blocksize         Force blocksize when looking for superblock
 -j external_journal  Set location of the external journal
 -l bad_blocks_file   Add to badblocks list
 -L bad_blocks_file   Set badblocks list
 -z undo_file         Create an undo file

Options (22)

Option	Description	Source
`-p`	Automatically repair ("preen") the file system.	help + man
`-n`	Open the file system read-only, and assume an answer of no' to all questions.	help + man
`-y`	Assume an answer of yes' to all questions;	help + man
`-c`	This option causes e2fsck to use badblocks(8) program to do a read-only scan of the device in order to find any bad blocks.	help + man
`-f`	Force checking even if the file system seems clean.	help + man
`-v`	Verbose mode.	help + man
`-b` superblock	Instead of using the normal superblock, use an alternative superblock specified by superblock.	help + man
`-B` blocksize	Normally, e2fsck will search for the superblock at various different block sizes in an attempt to find the appropriate block size.	help + man
`-j` external_journal	Set the pathname where the external-journal for this file system can be found.	help + man
`-l` bad_blocks_file	Add the block numbers listed in the file specified by filename to the list of bad blocks.	help + man
`-L` bad_blocks_file	Set the bad blocks list to be the list of blocks specified by filename.	help + man
`-z` undo_file	Before overwriting a file system block, write the old contents of the block to an undo file.	help + man
`-a`	This option does the same thing as the -p option. (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-C` fd	This option causes e2fsck to write completion information to the specified file descriptor so that the progress of the file system check can be monitored. (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-d`	Print debugging output (useless unless you are debugging e2fsck). (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-D`	Optimize directories in file system. (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-E` extended_options	Set e2fsck extended options. (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-F`	Flush the file system device's buffer caches before beginning. (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-k`	When combined with the -c option, any existing bad blocks in the bad blocks list are preserved, and any new bad blocks found by running badblocks(8) will be added to the existing bad blocks list. (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-r`	This option does nothing at all; (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-t`	Print timing statistics for e2fsck. (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-V`	Print version information and exit. (in the manual page but not in --help)	man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.