[please cc any reply as not always subscribed to list] On Sun, 7 Aug 2005, Bob Proulx wrote:
Now, any attempt to boot from rescue disk using <whatever>linu[z|x] root=/dev/hda2 results in: unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)This looks like an initrd problem. As in that the kernel needs an initrd (initial ram disk) with the module drivers to load the root filesystem. But these appear not to be getting loaded and so the root filesystem cannot be mounted. If using grub it should automatically detect the initrd. But if using lilo this needs to be added manually to the lilo.conf file or be able to see the symlinked files.
Thanks for the explanation. This is why I want to get into the system to run lilo anew -- I seem to have got myself into a circular lockout: I can't get into the system to run lilo because lilo hasn't been run to tell the sytem where the 2.6.8 initrd image is. :(
Anyone know a way out of this?(Any other way of running lilo, for example, having booted in from a rescue disk, using the rescue disk's root parameters?)
Unfortunately I don't have the expertise to help other than to ask if you know the type of filesystem that used to store the data?
Sorry; I should have mentioned before that it is ext3. (ext2 is easier to 'undelete' stuff from; but unfortunately this is an ext3 system. Laptops are liable to get the power cord yanked out rather more than other systems.)
I doubt that the installer would try to fix a full partition. But I don't doubt that it would try to repartition the drive so that everything would fit. Ouch.
As you say! Anyway -- thanks for the information. Every little helps. 4:00 am local time. ------------------ Interestingly enough, I've just got all my pictures back. Not exactly sure how, though.After doing a 'cp' on the /usr partition to an outboard hard drive, it flagged a couple of input/output errors; then I discovered the previously 'empty' images partition had magically re-appeared in (almost) pristine state. I made another copy of everything whilst it was all visible on screen (using 'cp' again -- this time it flagged errors on four images which I know I thought I'd deleted some time ago, but which obviously ended up in shadow land).
Still can't boot machine up though; plus I'm left with the nasty thought that either my drive is going flaky on me; or that the cp command is *not* non-invasive (and therefore useless as a forensic tool) as it seems to have 'nudged' things back into order.
Weird.
Now I needd to find a means of re-writing the MBR; or running lilo.
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