---
name: "fsck.zfs"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "zfsutils-linux"
version: "2.3.9-0+deb13u1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/fsck.zfs"
---

# fsck.zfs(8)

dummy ZFS filesystem checker

## NAME

**fsck.zfs** – dummy ZFS filesystem checker

## SYNOPSIS

**fsck.zfs** \[*options*\] *dataset*…

## DESCRIPTION

**fsck.zfs** is a thin shell wrapper that at most checks the status of a dataset's container pool. It is installed by OpenZFS because some Linux distributions expect a fsck helper for all filesystems.

If more than one *dataset* is specified, each is checked in turn and the results binary-ored.

## OPTIONS

Ignored.

## NOTES

ZFS datasets are checked by running **zpool** **scrub** on the containing pool. An individual ZFS dataset is never checked independently of its pool, which is unlike a regular filesystem.

However, the [fsck(8)](/fsck/8.md) interface still allows it to communicate some errors: if the *dataset* is in a degraded pool, then **fsck.zfs** will return exit code **4** to indicate an uncorrected filesystem error.

Similarly, if the *dataset* is in a faulted pool and has a legacy */etc/fstab* record, then **fsck.zfs** will return exit code **8** to indicate a fatal operational error.

## SEE ALSO

[fstab(5)](/fstab/5.md), [fsck(8)](/fsck/8.md), [zpool-scrub(8)](/zpool-scrub/8.md)