Package: dosfstools
Version: 2.11-1
Severity: normal
Ran 'dosfsck' on a drive it found many errors on,
it took over an hour:
dosfsck /dev/hdb1 2>&1
Then it prompted like so:
...<stuff deleted>...
/FOO/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1(1).VOB
Start cluster beyond limit (145685 > 140071). Truncating file.
/FOO/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1(1).VOB
File size is 316747776 bytes, cluster chain length is 0 bytes.
Truncating file to 0 bytes.
Free cluster summary wrong (312328 vs. really 46546)
1) Correct
2) Don't correct
? 1
Invalid input.
? 1
Leaving file system unchanged.
/dev/hdb1: 52544 files, 93524/140070 clusters
Since then I've read this bug report:
* #276834: dosfstools: dosfsck does not respond to user input
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=276834
...and understand from reading it that 'dosfsck' without '-a' or '-r'
is read only. That's okay.
What seems buggy is the "Invalid input" prompt. 'dosfsck' REQUESTED a
"1" or "2". When prompted for a "1" there is nothing invalid about
inputing it.
One fix might be to change the "Invalid input" error prompt to
something more like:
"'dosfsck' was launched in read-only mode, so no errors will
be fixed. Use the '-r' switch to turn on write mode."
I doubt that's the best fix though, since there seems to be no reason
for a program in read-only mode to prompt the user for something that
has no effect.
Prompts would be useful if there was a "practice" mode, something like
'apt-get --simulate' or 'dpkg --no-act'. But read-only mode isn't the
same as practice mode -- practice mode would show the user what WOULD
happen, without doing it -- whereas read-only mode doesn't show "what
might have been".
Another fault of the 'dosfsck' read-only mode is that should tell the
user about it FIRST. Waiting an hour to tell users they've fired a
blank isn't user-friendly.
Summing up:
1) Warn users they're in read-only mode first.
2) Prompting for useless input is futile.
3) The present error message is confusing.
4) Perhaps a new "practice mode" is needed.
Hope this helps...
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 3.1
APT prefers unstable
APT policy: (500, 'unstable'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.9-1-686
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968) (ignored: LC_ALL set to C)
Versions of packages dosfstools depends on:
ii libc6 2.3.2.ds1-20 GNU C Library: Shared libraries an
-- no debconf information
--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
