[TriLUG] reboot experience

[Mike M]

My debian system frooze.  I was running 3 xterms (ssh, compile/link, scp, 
etc), kmail, and konqueror for weeks.  I reset the beast.  I wish I had tried 
to telnet in to it first.  The screen messages told me to run fsck /dev/hda6 
manually without using -a or -p.  I answered yes to all questions  and there 
where a lot.  I had no way to understand if I should answer one way of the 
other.  The system is back up now.  

I have reset Linux systems without such dire consequences in the past.  WTH 
happened this time? Is debian less automatic than other distros when it comes 
to restoring a system after reset?  Is it possible that the consumer oriented 
distros hide more stuff?  Or did I just get unlucky this time?

(New Year's resolution: nightly backup in cron)
-- 
Mike M.