Submission for Unix-PC

[gatelist at zorch.SF-Bay.ORG]

Regarding BAD FREE LIST errors

Lately, my fsck at boot has shown a BAD FREE LIST error which apparently
fsck heals for me.  I loaded the diagnostic diskette and did a
non-destructive hard disk test which did not return any trouble
information (I thought perhaps my disk had degraded, and new information
should be entered in a bad-block table so that a section of disk could be
ignored).

Might this be the result of sloppy software rather than indicative of
hardware failure?
I know very little about fsck and disk diagnosis and maintenance.  I
will be very greatful for information and suggestions.
I run 3.51 OS, 3.5 development set.

An fsck -n generated:

  /dev/fp002   (NO WRITE)
  File System:  Volume: 

  ** Phase 1 - Check Blocks and Sizes
  POSSIBLE FILE SIZE ERROR I=278

  POSSIBLE FILE SIZE ERROR I=2873

  POSSIBLE FILE SIZE ERROR I=3076

  POSSIBLE FILE SIZE ERROR I=3097

  ** Phase 2 - Check Pathnames
  ** Phase 3 - Check Connectivity
  ** Phase 4 - Check Reference Counts
  UNREF FILE I=2873  OWNER=root MODE=10000
  SIZE=0 MTIME=Dec 12 03:19 1989 
  CLEAR?  no

  FREE INODE COUNT WRONG IN SUPERBLK
  FIX?  no

  ** Phase 5 - Check Free List 
  2 DUP BLKS IN FREE LIST
  BAD FREE LIST
  SALVAGE?  no

  3255 files 51548 blocks 19164 free

The MTIME of the UNREF file is precisely the time at which I was doing
the fsck!  I have not seen that kind of error before tonight.
I've also seen the Phase 5 error "1 BLK(S) MISSING" "BAD FREE LIST"
instead of the "N DUP BLKS IN FREE LIST" "BAD FREE LIST".

John R Ruckstuhl, Jr, ...!hplabs!hp-lsd!sphere!ruck