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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