on Thu, Nov 30, 2000 at 02:54:38PM -0500, Thomas Halahan (tom@halahan.com) wrote:
> Dear Deb-users
>
> This is a disaster. Whilst running a configure script (as su) it
> appears that my root directory was deleted. I could not even run the
> ls command, for example, and I had to turn the power off.
You can use shell builtins (the shell is still loaded in memory) to help
you out here, even when disk files are missing.
$ echo *
...is a poor man's 'ls'.
> I then booted the machine and the kernel is uncompressed but only gets
> as far as init - which it does not find and the boot stops.
Boot from your conveniently located boot floppy. Tom's Root/Boot
(http://www.toms.net/rb/) is a good secondary, though the 2.0.3x kernel
doesn't handle some modern ext2fs partitions. Or, as you've done...
> So I then booted from the CD-rom distro (potato) and used the
> "re-mount from previously initialised partition" option for my root,
> usr and home directories. I then use the "exectute shell commands"
> option that taks me to ash shell. The partitions are mounted off a
> directory called /target. I find that using the ls command loaded at
> boot from the CD I can actually see all my files. However the file
> allocation table is clearly not ok on normal boot.
Try running:
$ fdisk -l # lists partitions
fsck may be your best friend here. You're going to want to mount your
installation partitions read-only until you've sorted things out. If
you don't want to fly blind on fsck, you can give the -n flag to prevent
any changes:
$ fsck -n /dev/<root-partition>
> How on earth can I repair this?
Well, there are your regularly performed and carefully maintained
filesystem backups you can restore from, right? Mine running currently
<g>.
> I have looked into fsck command - from get started guide - but am too
> scared to use it.
Get over it.
> Whilst i can copy files accross to floppy, when in rescue boot, this
> will take forever which I would rather avoid if posible.
Buy yourself a SCSI drive.
> I would greatly appreciate any commands (with options) anyone might be
> able to suggest that could fix this problem.
>
> PLEASE send answers to my personal account (as well as list) as,
> clearly, I cannot access the mailing list that easily!
See also my backups reference:
http://www.netcom.com/~kmself/Linux/FAQs/backups.html
--
Karsten M. Self <kmself@ix.netcom.com> http://www.netcom.com/~kmself
Evangelist, Zelerate, Inc. http://www.zelerate.org
What part of "Gestalt" don't you understand? There is no K5 cabal
http://gestalt-system.sourceforge.net/ http://www.kuro5hin.org
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