[Bug 1689660] [NEW] systemd-fsckd busy spawning fsck

[Olaf Dietsche]

Public bug reported:

I rebooted my laptop after a crash.

Fsck couldn't repair the /var partition, so I was greeted with "Welcome
to Emergency!" and the request to look at `journalctl -xb`.

After logging in, and journalctl telling me about the broken /var
partition, I tried

    fsck /dev/mapper/vg0-var

which immediately returned with a message stating that /dev/mapper/vg0-var is busy.
Looking at the processes with `ps aux | grep fsck` gave

- systemd-fsckd
- /sbin/fsck /dev/mapper/vg0-var
- fsck.ext2 /dev/mapper/vg0-var

Trying to kill `fsck.ext2` or `fsck` was futile, because `fsck` was
dying and restarting faster, than I could look at the process list.
Killing `systemd-fsckd` finally ended the busy loop.

But still, I couldn't check my /var partition, because now systemd has
mounted my /var partition, even though it told me before, it was in need
of repair.

After unmounting /var, I could finally do the much needed `fsck
/dev/mapper/vg0-var`.

---

I would expect

1. systemd-fsck stop restarting fsck, when it was aware, that it must be checked manually
2. systemd *not* mount an unchecked file system, especially when systemd-fsckd stopped with an error or was killed

---

Description:	Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
Release:	16.04

---

systemd:
  Installed: 229-4ubuntu10
  Candidate: 229-4ubuntu16
  Version table:
     229-4ubuntu16 500
        500 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 Packages
 *** 229-4ubuntu10 500
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     229-4ubuntu4 500
        500 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages

---

** Affects: systemd (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1689660

Title:
  systemd-fsckd busy spawning fsck

Status in systemd package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I rebooted my laptop after a crash.

  Fsck couldn't repair the /var partition, so I was greeted with
  "Welcome to Emergency!" and the request to look at `journalctl -xb`.

  After logging in, and journalctl telling me about the broken /var
  partition, I tried

      fsck /dev/mapper/vg0-var

  which immediately returned with a message stating that /dev/mapper/vg0-var is busy.
  Looking at the processes with `ps aux | grep fsck` gave

  - systemd-fsckd
  - /sbin/fsck /dev/mapper/vg0-var
  - fsck.ext2 /dev/mapper/vg0-var

  Trying to kill `fsck.ext2` or `fsck` was futile, because `fsck` was
  dying and restarting faster, than I could look at the process list.
  Killing `systemd-fsckd` finally ended the busy loop.

  But still, I couldn't check my /var partition, because now systemd has
  mounted my /var partition, even though it told me before, it was in
  need of repair.

  After unmounting /var, I could finally do the much needed `fsck
  /dev/mapper/vg0-var`.

  ---

  I would expect

  1. systemd-fsck stop restarting fsck, when it was aware, that it must be checked manually
  2. systemd *not* mount an unchecked file system, especially when systemd-fsckd stopped with an error or was killed

  ---

  Description:	Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
  Release:	16.04

  ---

  systemd:
    Installed: 229-4ubuntu10
    Candidate: 229-4ubuntu16
    Version table:
       229-4ubuntu16 500
          500 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 Packages
   *** 229-4ubuntu10 500
          500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main amd64 Packages
          100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
       229-4ubuntu4 500
          500 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages

  ---

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