I believe what you do is go into single user mode (either "boot -s" on the
i386 startup prompt, or type "shutdown now" at the regular shell prompt"),
then do 'fsck /'. Worked for me.

Jimmy
jim@bway.net

On Tue, 3 Aug 1999, benjamin p. myers wrote:

> Hey netbsd folk.  All kinds of trouble here.  Perhaps some of you that are 
> more experienced with netbsd can help me.
> 
> Am trying to fsck my root partition.  Here's what i get:
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> # mount -a
> /dev/rz0a: file system not clean; please 
> fsck(8)                         (to show that it sucks)
> # mount
> /dev/rz0a on / type ffs (local)
> /dev/rz0d on /usr type ffs (local)
> #
> 
> # umount -a                               (suggesting that everything 
> unmounted alright)
> # 
> mount
> /dev/rz0a on / type ffs (local)        (except of course the root 
> partition)
> #
> 
> # umount 
> /
> umount: /: Invalid argument           (okay, guess 
> not)
> #
> 
> # umount -t ffs /dev/rz0a 
> /
> umount: /: Invalid argument            (try 
> again)
> umount: /: Invalid 
> argument
> #
> 
> # mount -t ffs -o rdonly /dev/rz0a /      (decide to go the other 
> route)
> # 
> mount
> /dev/rz0a on / type ffs (local, read-only)       (you'd think it'd be ok to 
> fsck now)
> #
> 
> # fsck 
> /
> /dev/rrz0a (No such file or directory)Can't stat 
> /dev/rrz0a
> /dev/rrz0a (No such file or directory)Can't stat 
> /dev/rrz0a
> /dev/rz0a is not a character 
> device
> CONTINUE? [yn] 
> y
>                                                                              
> 
> an't open /dev/rz0a: Device busy                     (guess not)
> #
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> I've tried a few other permutations all with the same result.  so, eh, 
> what?  do you all have to fsck your root partitions from another one?  or, 
> much more likely, am i just stupid?
> 
> thanks,
> ben (newbie)
> 
>