[DISASTER] Latest update broke my system entirely

[Jonas Steverud <d4jonas@dtek.chalmers.se>]

I updated my potato system last Thursday (23rd of September) and it
broke my system beyond belief.

When I in dselect installed the packages I've just fetched (using
ftp.uk.debian.org) I got some errormessages about not recognized
packages. If I understood it correctly the files where broken.

Since I thought that the files was not installed I payed it no furhter
attention and shutdown. Bad move.

Upon shutdown INIT (?) complains about "nothing more to run in this
runlevel" and halts. I reboot (reset-button on computer) and INIT
complains about it can't execute /etc/init.d/rcS. I get the
login prompt but cannot login as ordinary user nor root.

I try the boot disc. No success (not very surprising).

I download the resucedisc and "boot: rescue root=/dec/hda7" which
gives me this (I get the same for the two above):

------8<-----
INIT: Version 2.77 booting
INIT: Cannot execute execute "/etc/init.d/rcS"
INIT: Entering runlevel 2
INIT: Cannot execute execute "/etc/init.d/rc"

Debian GNU/Linux potato (none) tty1

(none) login: root
login[10]: PAM unabvle to resolve symbol pam_sm_authenticate
login[10]: PAM unabvle to resolve symbol pam_sm_setcred
login[10]: PAM unabvle to resolve symbol pam_sm_authenticate
login[10]: PAM unabvle to resolve symbol pam_sm_setcred
password: [excuse me a moment]
PAM_unix[10]: (login) session opened for user root by js(uid=0)
login[10]: unable to change tty '/dev/tty1' for user 'root'

login[10]: unable to change tty '/dev/tty1'; Illegal seek

{new login prompt}

------8<-----

How can I fix this? I cannot login to my system to see what is wrong!

If I get on the system I can grap the output from script(1) (ran
dselect under it) and put it on my homepage for debug.

Complete reinstall of the system is not an option since I have quite
some files not backed up. The irony is that I was planning to back up
the system to a cdr last weekend.

/Jonas, with a FUBAR linux-system.
-- 
( Jonas Steverud  @  www.dtek.chalmers.se/~d4jonas/ !    Wei Wu Wei    )
( U2MoL, Roleplaying, LaTeX, Emacs/Gnus, SCWM, etc. ! To Do Without Do )