# "fsck: fsck./ext2: not found" error message during

## jlancaster

I built a gentoo server on an AMD64 system this past weekend following the AMD64 instructions and using the defaults.  Everything appears to be working OK, but I get this error message during system startup:

fsck: fsck./ext2: not found

fsck: Error 2 while executing fsck./ext2 for /dev/hde3

/dev/hde3 is my root partition.  I thought I had forgotten to use the "-j" paramter when I created the file system using "mke2fs -j /dev/hde3", but now I'm not sure.  (I re-built the server numerous times over the weekend.)  I proceeded with the assumption that I had and used "ext2" for the fs type in fstab.  And when I type "mount" I see the filesystem listed as "ext2" on that partition.

So why am I getting the fsck error?  What would happen if I were to change the fs type in fstab to ext3?  Would that corrupt the partition?  I'm not doing anything until I get some adult supervision.   :Wink: 

Jim Lancaster

Dallas, TX

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## Janne Pikkarainen

The error message itself seems to be strange (the file it mentions is weirdly named fsck./ext2, not fsck.ext2 ...), but anyway my guess is that your /etc/fstab is borked, so your system can't mount even root partition at all and that's why is also unable to use fsck.ext2, which is located in /sbin directory.

Can you somehow show us the /etc/fstab file?

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## jlancaster

Note, the system appears to be working perfectly.  It boots and runs without errors except for this one.  Here is the fstab:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

/dev/hde1    /boot            /ext2            noauto,noatime          1 2

/dev/hde2    none             swap            sw                      0 0

/dev/hde3    /                   /ext2           noatime                 0 1

none           /proc             proc		defaults		0 0

none           /dev/shm	tmpfs		defaults		0 0

/dev/cdroms/cdrom0        /mnt/cdrom   auto   noauto,user  0 0

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I modified the fstab, I think I used spaces to line up the columns instead of tabs.  Would this have any effect?

Jim

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## Janne Pikkarainen

Ahha! This line

 *jlancaster wrote:*   

> /dev/hde3    /                   /ext2           noatime                 0 1
> 
> 

 

should be

```
/dev/hde3      /        ext2        noatime         0 1
```

See, you have an extra slash there before the ext2 word.

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## jlancaster

Fantastic! That did the trick.  Now, one last question.  When I run "dmesg" I see the following:

EXT3 FS on hde3, internal journal

However, as I pointed out previously, fstab is set to ext2 and mount shows the fs as ext2.  Could it be possible that I actually did use "-j" when I created the file system on hde3?  (I realize just how nutty this question sounds.   :Confused:   ) 

What happens if I change ext2 to ext3 for hde3 in fstab? 

Jim

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## Chris W

You have the same extraneous slash (/) problem on the first line of fstab also.

You can use the blkid tool to determine what is actually on the block device, e.g.: 

```
root # blkid /dev/hda5

/dev/hda5: UUID="eae4819f-c240-4036-ad7d-cc8c0b500504" SEC_TYPE="ext3" TYPE="ext2"

root # blkid /dev/hda1

/dev/hda1: UUID="2da17e30-e822-11d5-89d9-8fdcf48348a0" TYPE="ext2"
```

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## jlancaster

Yeah, I caught that extra "/" on the other partition when I fixed the first one.   My "blkid /dev/hde3" reads very much like your /dev/hda5 where SEC_TYPE="ext3".  I assume this means the filesystem is ext3.

Now I just changed ext2 to ext3 on /dev/hde3 in fstab and rebooted.  The server came up without errors.  (No guts, no glory.)

Thanks to all for your help.  :Very Happy: 

Jim

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