FSCK.MINIX(8) System Administration FSCK.MINIX(8)

# [NAME](#NAME)

fsck.minix - check consistency of Minix filesystem

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**fsck.minix** \[options] *device*

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

**fsck.minix** performs a consistency check for the Linux MINIX filesystem.

The program assumes the filesystem is quiescent. **fsck.minix** should not be used on a mounted device unless you can be sure nobody is writing to it. Remember that the kernel can write to device when it searches for files.

The *device* name will usually have the following form:

/dev/hda\[1-63] IDE disk 1 /dev/hdb\[1-63] IDE disk 2 /dev/sda\[1-15] SCSI disk 1 /dev/sdb\[1-15] SCSI disk 2

If the filesystem was changed, i.e., repaired, then **fsck.minix** will print "FILE SYSTEM HAS BEEN CHANGED" and will [**sync**(2)](/man/os/util-linux/sync.2) three times before exiting. There is *no* need to reboot after check.

# [WARNING](#WARNING)

**fsck.minix** should **not** be used on a mounted filesystem. Using **fsck.minix** on a mounted filesystem is very dangerous, due to the possibility that deleted files are still in use, and can seriously damage a perfectly good filesystem! If you absolutely have to run **fsck.minix** on a mounted filesystem, such as the root filesystem, make sure nothing is writing to the disk, and that no files are "zombies" waiting for deletion.

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

**-l**, **--list**

List all filenames.

**-r**, **--repair**

Perform interactive repairs.

**-a**, **--auto**

Perform automatic repairs. This option implies **--repair** and serves to answer all of the questions asked with the default. Note that this can be extremely dangerous in the case of extensive filesystem damage.

**-v**, **--verbose**

Be verbose.

**-s**, **--super**

Output super-block information.

**-m**, **--uncleared**

Activate MINIX-like "mode not cleared" warnings.

**-f**, **--force**

Force a filesystem check even if the filesystem was marked as valid. Marking is done by the kernel when the filesystem is unmounted.

**-h**, **--help**

Display help text and exit.

**-V**, **--version**

Display version and exit.

# [DIAGNOSTICS](#DIAGNOSTICS)

There are numerous diagnostic messages. The ones mentioned here are the most commonly seen in normal usage.

If the device does not exist, **fsck.minix** will print "unable to read super block". If the device exists, but is not a MINIX filesystem, **fsck.minix** will print "bad magic number in super-block".

# [EXIT STATUS](#EXIT_STATUS)

The exit status returned by **fsck.minix** is the sum of the following:

**0**

No errors

**3**

Filesystem errors corrected, system should be rebooted if filesystem was mounted

**4**

Filesystem errors left uncorrected

**7**

Combination of exit statuses 3 and 4

**8**

Operational error

**16**

Usage or syntax error

# [AUTHORS](#AUTHORS)

*Linus Torvalds* <torvalds@cs.helsinki.fi>. Exit status values by *Rik Faith* <faith@cs.unc.edu> Added support for filesystem valid flag: *Dr. Wettstein* <greg%wind.uucp@plains.nodak.edu>. Check to prevent fsck of mounted filesystem added by *Daniel Quinlan* <quinlan@yggdrasil.com>. Minix v2 fs support by *Andreas Schwab* <schwab@issan.informatik.uni-dortmund.de>, updated by *Nicolai Langfeldt* <janl@math.uio.no>. Portability patch by *Russell King* <rmk@ecs.soton.ac.uk>.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**fsck**(8)](/man/os/util-linux/fsck.8), [**fsck.ext2**(8)](/man/os/util-linux/fsck.ext2.8), [**mkfs**(8)](/man/os/util-linux/mkfs.8), [**mkfs.ext2**(8)](/man/os/util-linux/mkfs.ext2.8), [**mkfs.minix**(8)](/man/os/util-linux/mkfs.minix.8), [**reboot**(8)](/man/os/util-linux/reboot.8)

# [REPORTING BUGS](#REPORTING_BUGS)

For bug reports, use the *issue tracker* <https://github.com/util-linux/util-linux/issues>.

# [AVAILABILITY](#AVAILABILITY)

The **fsck.minix** command is part of the util-linux package which can be downloaded from *Linux Kernel Archive* <https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/>.

2026-10-30 util-linux 2.42.4

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Document: fsck.minix(8) from util-linux 2.42.4-r2 (Chainguard OS)