FSCK_HFS(8) BSD System Manager's Manual FSCK_HFS(8)
NAME
fsck_hfs -- HFS file system consistency check
SYNOPSIS
fsck_hfs -q [-df] special ...
fsck_hfs -p [-df] special ...
fsck_hfs [-n | -y | -r] [-dfgxlES] [-D flags] [-b size] [-B path] [-m mode] [-c size] [-R flags] special ...
DESCRIPTION
The fsck_hfs utility verifies and repairs standard HFS and HFS+ file systems.
The first form of fsck_hfs quickly checks the specified file systems to determine whether they were cleanly unmounted.
The second form of fsck_hfs preens the specified file systems. It is normally started by fsck(8) run from /etc/rc.boot during automatic
reboot, when a HFS file system is detected. When preening file systems, fsck_hfs will fix common inconsistencies for file systems that were
not unmounted cleanly. If more serious problems are found, fsck_hfs does not try to fix them, indicates that it was not successful, and
exits.
The third form of fsck_hfs checks the specified file systems and tries to repair all detected inconsistencies.
If no options are specified fsck_hfs will always check and attempt to fix the specified file systems.
The options are as follows:
-c size Specify the size of the cache used by fsck_hfs internally. Bigger size can result in better performance but can result in
deadlock when used with -l option. Size can be specified as a decimal, octal, or hexadecimal number. If the number ends with
a ``k'', ``m'', or ``g'', the number is multiplied by 1024 (1K), 1048576 (1M), or 1073741824 (1G), respectively.
-d Display debugging information. This option may provide useful information when fsck_hfs cannot repair a damaged file system.
-D flags Print extra debugging information. The flags are a bitmap that control which kind of debug information is printed. The fol-
lowing values are currently implemented:
0x0001 Informational messages
0x0002 Error messages
0x0010 Extended attributes related messages
0x0020 Overlapped extents related messages
-b size Specify the size, in bytes, of the physical blocks used by the -B option.
-B path Print the files containing the physical blocks listed in the file path. The file should contain one or more decimal, octal
(with leading 0) or hexadecimal (with leading 0x) numbers separated by white space. The physical block numbers are relative to
the start of the partition, so if you have block numbers relative to the start of the device, you will have to subtract the
block number of the start of the partition. The size of a physical block is given with the -b option; the default is 512 bytes
per block.
-f When used with the -p option, force fsck_hfs to check `clean' file systems, otherwise it means force fsck_hfs to check and
repair journaled HFS+ file systems.
-g Causes fsck_hfs to generate its output strings in GUI format. This option is used when another application with a graphical
user interface (like Mac OS X Disk Utility) is invoking the fsck_hfs tool.
-x Causes fsck_hfs to generate its output strings in XML (plist) format. This option implies the -g option.
-l Lock down the file system and perform a test-only check. This makes it possible to check a file system that is currently
mounted, although no repairs can be made.
-m mode Mode is an octal number that will be used to set the permissions for the lost+found directory when it is created. The
lost+found directory is only created when a volume is repaired and orphaned files or directories are detected. fsck_hfs places
orphaned files and directories into the lost+found directory (located at the root of the volume). The default mode is 01777.
-p Preen the specified file systems.
-q Causes fsck_hfs to quickly check whether the volume was unmounted cleanly. If the volume was unmounted cleanly, then the exit
status is 0. If the volume was not unmounted cleanly, then the exit status will be non-zero. In either case, a message is
printed to standard output describing whether the volume was clean or dirty.
-y Always attempt to repair any damage that is found.
-n Never attempt to repair any damage that is found.
-E Cause fsck_hfs to exit (with a value of 47) if it encounters any major errors. A ``major error'' is considered one which would
impact using the volume in normal usage; an inconsistency which would not impact such use is considered ``minor'' for this
option. Only valid with the -n option.
-S Cause fsck_hfs to scan the entire device looking for I/O errors. It will attempt to map the blocks with errors to names, simi-
lar to the -B option.
-R flags Rebuilds the requested btree. The following flags are supported:
a Attribute btree
c Catalog btree
e Extents overflow btree
Rebuilding a btree will only work if there is enough free space on the file system for the new btree file, and if fsck_hfs is
able to traverse each of the nodes in the requested btree successfully. Rebuilding btrees is not supported on HFS Standard
volumes.
-r Rebuild the catalog btree. This is synonymous with -Rc.
Because of inconsistencies between the block device and the buffer cache, the raw device should always be used.
EXIT VALUES
fsck_hfs indicates some status by exit value. The current list of exit status results is:
0 No errors found, or successfully repaired.
3 A quick-check (the -n option) found a dirty filesystem; no repairs were made.
4 During boot, the root filesystem was found to be dirty; repairs were made, and the filesystem was remounted. The system should
be rebooted.
8 A corrupt filesystem was found during a check, or repairs did not succeed.
47 A major error was found with -E.
SEE ALSO
fsck(8)
BUGS
fsck_hfs is not able to fix some inconsistencies that it detects.
HISTORY
The fsck_hfs command appeared in Mac OS X Server 1.0 .
Mac OS X August 5, 2008 Mac OS X