Re: emergency disk/mounting files
Brandon Mitchell wrote:
> On Tue, 19 Jan 1999, Bob Nielsen wrote:
>
> > On Tue, 19 Jan 1999, KTB wrote:
> >
> > > I need to change an X config file I screwed up so I can get into Linux.
> > > I'm using my boot disk to get to root, so I can bypass X, so I can edit
> > > the file. This is the message and prompt I get when booting from the
> > > floppy:
> > >
> > > VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem) read only.
> > > sh: /usr/bin/check -sendfile: No such file or directory
> > > /#
> > >
> > > I then use the command umount like so:
> > > /# umount /
> > >
> > > I then tried mounting like so:
> > > /# mount /dev/hdb2 / -rw
> > >
> > > and got this:
> > > mount: you must specify the filesystem type
>
> I don't understand how you are doing things after unmounting the root
> partition. Do you actually boot off the rescue disk and get to the
> color/mono screen? Anyway, in answer to your current question, try:
> mount -o remount,rw /
I don't know that I can explain it very well but I'm booting to begin with from the
rescue disk. When "boot:" comes up I type "linux init=/bin/sh" There is no color
screen I'm not sure what a mono screen is. I just get the regular non-X screen. I
tried "mount -o remount, rw /" and got the following error:
EXT2 warning: maximal mount count reached, running e2fsck is recommended
mount: warning: cannot change mounted device with a remount
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, I hope I can put this down in a legible way. Here is some other info I have found
out:
First, just above the prompt is this message:
VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem) read only
sh: /usr/bin/check -sendfile: No such file or directory
Before doing anything on this last boot is use "mount" at the prompt, this is what I
got:
/# mount
dev/hdb1 on / type ext2 (rw)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
The message "above the prompt" tells me "read only" using the 'mount' command seems to
be telling me read and write, but it is read only.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One thing I think I have been doing wrong is I have been trying to mount my swap
partion. I have three partions:
hdb1 (root), hdb2 (swap) and hdb3 (whatever you call it, user portion)
I went back and tried all the suggested mount lines such as, "mount -t ext2 /dev/hdb2
/" and replaced "/devhdb2" with "/dev/hdb1" This obtained no different results than
using "/dev/hdb2"
Another thing that might be going wrong is I'm not unmounting properly. This is what
I put in to unmount:
/# umount /
Then I tried the mount command and got the following:
/# mount
dev/hdb1 on / type ext2 (rw)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
Which is the same thing I got when I first logged on before trying to unmount.
So I tried "umount -t ext2 /dev/hdb1 /"
I got a prompt and tried "mount" and got the same thing as before:
/# mount
dev/hdb1 on / type ext2 (rw)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
I tried to mount with "mount -t ext2 /dev/hdb1 /"
and got the following:
mount: /dev/hdb1 already mounted or / busy
mount: according to mtab, /dev/hdb1 is already mounted on /
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I found that if I use "mount -a" I can use the editor 'joe' I can look at a file but
can't change anything it tells me "read only."
When I used the command "mount" with "-a" I got the following message:
EXT2-fs warning: mounting unchecked fs, running e2fsck is recommended
When I tried "mount -a -rw" I got the same message:
EXT2-fs warning: mounting unchecked fs, running e2fsck is recommended
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope someone can help. I can't access my system until I change the file to turn off
xdm, then I should be able to start up my system without the boot disk and correct
what I did in the various XF86Config files. I have looked at man pages and howto's on
the internet and can't find anything about what I'm experiencing here. There has to
be a way for me to read AND write to files through using the boot floppy. If not I
guess I'll have to just reinstall.
Thanks,
Kent
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