> 	cgd's changes to fsck now make it so aggressive about believing
> 	clean flags that it will refuse to check a marked-clean
> 	filesystem even if you specifically give the disk device name.
> 	In my opinion this is excessive - giving a device name is a
> 	sufficiently clear indication that you want to check that
> 	filesystem regardless....

It is not accessive.

Consider the case of a 'new' disk that you've found (say, a floppy).
You stick it in the drive, want to fsck it (if it's not clean), so you
fsck it by name.  if it's clean, the right thing happens: it doesn't
get a complete recheck.  if it's not clean, it gets checked.

giving a device name is an indication that the user wants the specific
device named to be examined.  there is every possibility (and, indeed,
it's almost always the case when _i_ use fsck in this way) that if
the file system is clean, they don't want it to be rechecked.
those people who REALLY want it checked can, upon seeing the message,
say fsck -f ...



chris