xfsrepair

Xfs_repair is a file system repair utility for the XFS filesystem, part of the xfsprogs package. It is used to diagnose and repair metadata inconsistencies that can occur after unexpected shutdowns, crashes, or disk errors. The tool examines the on-disk structures of an XFS filesystem, including the superblock, inode and extent trees, directories, and free-space structures, and attempts to restore consistency so the filesystem can be mounted safely again.

Xfs_repair operates on an unmounted filesystem or one mounted read-only. It is invoked with the device file or a filesystem image as an argument, for example xfs_repair /dev/sdXN. In a maintenance environment, it should be run on a non-mounted or read-only filesystem. The tool repairs metadata and can reclaim orphaned inodes or fix directory entries. It does not guarantee full data recovery; user data blocks may be lost if they have been overwritten or corrupted.

Common usage patterns include performing a dry run with the -n option to review what would be repaired without making changes, and using the -L option to zero the log if the journal is corrupted. There are additional options to control the depth of repair or to force repairs in damaged conditions, and users are advised to consult the manual for details. After a successful repair, the filesystem can be mounted again; in some cases a subsequent pass is unnecessary, though occasional rechecks may be performed to confirm integrity.

Xfs_repair is a tool focused on metadata integrity and consistency in the XFS family; it is typically used as part of a broader data recovery workflow and is complemented by other xfsprogs utilities such as mkfs.xfs and xfs_growfs.