Re: [cobalt-users] Followup: unrecoverable errors on /dev/hda4

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Chip wrote:

> Well, in this particular case, someone in the office shut off the UPS
> attached to the Raq without realizing that the Raq was still on, so it was
> a full external power loss to the Raq.  Absent human ineptitude, the Raq
> itself has been very stable.

Clears things up a bit <smile>...

>  >But if the system is crashing or locking up, and then a reboot shows
>  >these errors, it may be drive replacement time.
> 
> Well, the problem now is that I don't seem to be able to get fsck to fix
> the errors.

Okay, so far all we've got is a hard disk in need of fsck-ing.

> Each time I reboot, it says something close to "Errors in
> /dev/hda4. Exiting to shell."  I then run fsck manually, but it gives these
> unrecoverable read errors and offers only to ignore them, not to fix
> them.  So, when I reboot again, I get the same message.

You can't fix errors while the partition is mounted.  I really don't
remember if there is or isn't a way to load linux on the RaQ without
mounting the drives.  You can wait and see if someone else answers that
you can (I'm leaving on vacation in a few days and won't have time to
check this before I go), and tells you how (if possible it would require
attaching a terminal to the serial port on the back of your RaQ).  Or
you can take the drive out, put it on another (preferably, but not
necessarily redhat 6.0 or later) system), and do an fsck on it from the
other system without mounting the job.

That'll give you a chance to see if you can fix the drive.

> So do I have to restore the drive (not a lot is on it), or is there
> something equivalent to SpinRite or Norton that will fix (i.e., write over)
> the unreadable sectors of the disk?

If fsck can't fix it the way I've mentioned, I'd toss it.

> And, given these errors, would it be wise to replace the drive anyway,
> before the Raq goes to a colo NOC that is many miles from where I am?

Not if fsck can fix it while it's unmounted.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672
Riverside, CA  92517
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