Bug#307664: marked as done (debian-installer: Difficult to use as a 'rescue' disk)
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Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 16:49:54 +0200
From: Javier =?iso-8859-1?Q?Fern=E1ndez-Sanguino_Pe=F1a?= <jfs@computer.org>
To: submit@bugs.debian.org
Cc: Javier Fernandez-Sanguino Pena <jfs@dat.etsit.upm.es>
Subject: debian-installer: Difficult to use as a 'rescue' disk
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Package: debian-installer
Version: d-i rc3
Priority: wishlist
(I wanted to report this as a separate bug even if I stated this problem in=
=20
my installation report #301112)
One of the common uses of an install disk is to have this used as a=20
'rescue' disk whenever things go wrong in a system, some sample tasks are:
- manually editing init scripts that fail to start (so you can go past=20
erros in bootup associated with hardware once the system is installed)
- manually changing the password of systems you forgot the password of
- manually fixing partitions that have been corrupted or /etc/fstab entries=
=20
of hardware that has changed location (and lead to a kernel panic since it=
=20
cannot load the rootfs)
=2E..
Typically, installation media can be used as a rescue disk and this is one=
=20
of the uses of the alternate console. It seems, however, that the d-i=20
netinst images have a limited usefulness as rescue disks:
- there is no 'rescue' target that will allow users to run a limited=20
hardware detection and get a shell prompt from which to do repair=20
operations. The user has to go through the installation and abort it in a=
=20
point.
- the /dev/ directory is missing common devices need for disk operation
(/dev/sdXX, /dev/hdXXX) , so most users that go to the install mode and go
inmediately to the second console (once you've setup your keyboard, if
needed) will think that they are missing and will mknod all the devices
into existence (if they now what that is).=20
Actually, the devices are there, but the installer users devfs (so discs=20
are under /dev/discs or /dev/ide and /dev/scsi). I didn't learn about this=
=20
until I read the DebianInstallerFAQ (in the Wiki) since this is not=20
self-evident from the d-i documentation.
Maybe I'm missing something, and this is supported in some way, but I have=
=20
been unable to find in the d-i manual something on the lines of the=20
following documentation:
* SuSE rescue mode:
http://www.novell.com/documentation/oes/index.html?page=3D/documentation/oe=
s/sles_admin/data/sec-suse-rettungssystem.html
* Red Hat rescue mode: (also in Fedora)
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-3-Manual/sysadmin-guide/=
s1-rescuemode-boot.html
I'm aware that you can "rescue" the system with any of the many rescue=20
disks around but people who only have the Debian CD-ROM set available might=
=20
find it difficult to recover from some installations situations (like those=
=20
that leave a system installed but is unable to bootup due to an unknown=20
hardware issue)
If the debian-boot group thinks this is a documentation-only issue (i.e.=20
there is no plan to add a 'rescue' target post-sarge) then please speak up,=
=20
I will try to draft a "rescue mode" chapter for the d-i manual in any case.
Regards
Javier
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Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 12:03:41 -0400
From: Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>
To: 307664-done@bugs.debian.org
Subject: Re: Bug#307664: debian-installer: Difficult to use as a 'rescue' disk
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Javier Fern=E1ndez-Sanguino Pe=F1a wrote:
> If the debian-boot group thinks this is a documentation-only issue (i.e.=
=20
> there is no plan to add a 'rescue' target post-sarge) then please speak u=
p,=20
> I will try to draft a "rescue mode" chapter for the d-i manual in any cas=
e.
Um, we had limited time and great pressure to write the installer in
time for sarge, minor features such as a rescue mode that can be
accomplished in a great variety of ways had to be left out.=20
rescue mode is already implemented and the udebs for it were in fact
uploaded just the other day. They are in NEW.
--=20
see shy jo
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