Re: strange log messages/behavior

[Paul Miller <pmiller@jove.acs.unt.edu>]

"Chris R. Martin" wrote:
> 
> Has anyone ever seen these messages before? Does anyone know what they mean?
> 
> Mar 14 17:27:19 server init: Id "1" respawning too fast: disabled for 5
> minutes
> Mar 14 17:28:50 server init: Id "2" respawning too fast: disabled for 5
> minutes
> Mar 14 17:29:39 server init: Id "3" respawning too fast: disabled for 5
> minutes
> Mar 14 17:29:42 server init: Id "4" respawning too fast: disabled for 5
> minutes
> Mar 14 17:29:45 server init: Id "5" respawning too fast: disabled for 5
> minutes
> Mar 14 17:29:49 server init: Id "6" respawning too fast: disabled for 5
> minutes
> Mar 14 17:29:49 server init: no more processes left in this runlevel
> 
If you take a look in your /etc/inittab file you will see lines like 

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1 
2:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty2
3:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty3
4:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty4
5:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty5
6:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty6

This is what sets up your virtual terminals. The init process detects
when you are done with a terminal and respawns getty to run on the
terminal. The most likely problem is that getty was terminating
abnormally or was not being loaded properly so init will just keep
retying to respawn it. That is what will cause the errors you saw.

> How should I have dealt with this problem? Any ideas how it occured?
> 
I usually have the luck of one of the terminals still being functional
for me to kill the offending getty and all is OK. As for your situation,
you could have waited the five minutes and see if the getties respawned
properly. Beyond that I'm sure I would have reached for the reset button
myself.

As for what actually causes the problem I have not been able to figure
out. It does not happen to me often enough.

Hope this is usefull.

-- 
Paul Miller
pmiller@jove.acs.unt.edu

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