Re: Need help recovering Debian that won't boot.

[kenn <kenn@printussery.com>]

Kent West wrote:
> kenn wrote:
> 
>> Greetings.
>>
>> I have a Debian server that does not complete its boot ... early on, it
>> display a Copyright notice for grep, then for egrep, then for grep
>> again, then for egrep again, then hangs .... I've booted the computer
>>from a Knoppix CD and can see all the files, I just can't get it to boot.
>> I also tried to run fsck from Knoppix but, whether from my fault or
>> otherwise, that didn't solve the problem.  At this point, I'm getting a
>> little desperate.
>>
>> Any and all ideas GREATLY appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Kenn Caldwell
>>
>>
>>  
>>
> Grub or lilo?
> 
> Try starting Debian in single-user (Safe Recovery?) mode.
> 
> If that doesn't help, try feeding a line like "init=/bin/bash" to
> grub/lilo; this will boot you into a rather non-functional Debian with a
> bash shell as pretty much the only thing running. If this works, you
> know the kernel is booting up and handing off to init properly.
> 

Exposing my ignorance here ... I usually use GRUB, but this box was
built before I got here ... it's booting w/LILO and doesn't give me an
option to boot into single-user mode.  How do I get it to do that?

Thanks.