Re: Skipping fsck during boot with systemd?

[Jerry Stuckle <stucklejerry@gmail.com>]

On 12/11/2014 5:53 AM, Bonno Bloksma wrote:
> Hi,
> 
>>>> fsck may take time. Relax, it needs that time.
>>>
>>> What if I do not have that time,
>>
>> Find it (this includes planning - of infrastructure and procedures if required).
> 
> Ok, so that means anyone with a nice laptop who wants to do some work "just before" boarding a plane is now "at risk". 
> Just had to help someone this morning who had Windows 7 doing updates when he shut down his laptop to board a plane. He had no time to wait, he had not planned on there being an interruption in the "normal baviour". This morning his laptop would not boot.
> The same can happen with "normal users" if we give them the new Debian Jessie on a laptop and they run into a similar situation where fsck will start when it "is not a good time to do so". For whatever reason. There needs to be a non corrupting way to something that can last that long. 
> 
>> No other choices.
> In the near future with Jessie, maybe no, but "soon" after that we really need it.
> 
>> Let fsck run and pray it does not halts claiming it can't fix the problem.
> When it is started due to an unclean shutdown or something like it, we can plan. When it simply runs "because it does that sometimes", no thank you, I would like a cancel option.
> 
> Bonno Bloksma
> 
> 

A perfect example.  I often do work "just before boarding a plane" on a
Windows notebook, because around here you don't know when a plane is
going to board until they actually start boarding it.  It could be on
time, or it could be 30 minutes (or more) late.

But I have Windows Update set to "Notify only" - no automatic
downloading and installing of updates.  That way I can control when the
updates are done (I've seen it take > 20 minutes to shut down after a
major update).

If Windows can give you the option as to when to perform a potentially
critical (do not shut down!) and long running process, why can't Linux?

Or, better yet, give the option to cancel it if it does start at the
wrong time.

I often give presentations with my notebook.  If I'm lucky, I get 10-15
minutes to set up.  If I'm not, less than 5 minutes (i.e. another
presenter ahead of me).  I use Linux whenever possible, but since my
time slot is limited, I can't wait for fsck to complete.

Jerry