System Dorked, Redux

[d_baron]

How I got it back up:
1. mounted partition on older disk
2. mounted --bind the live's /dev with the partition's
3. chroot to partition folder
4. mount fstab entries, i.e. var, tmp, etc.
5 run update-initramfs -u, which ran without complaint, runs lilo as well, 
without complaint

The question is: A partition on another one terra with the same files, fstab 
and lilo.conf appropriately edited to make this partition root --
Why will not the same procedure work? Get segfaults trying anything chrooted 
here!

The original root partition from the install is too small to accept the current 
root contents to return to it.

Problem is system freezing up with nouveau reading cache errors, near-unusable 
That older disk was smart-flagged as "pre-failure." The errors may be from the 
disk (or may be from bug in KDE's graphics/compositiing). I filed a bug on 
iceweasel so-explained because it happens often using or after using iceweasel 
(but certainly not exclusively).

Re: System Dorked -- Help!

[d_baron]

- Original Message -
From: Joel Rees 
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2015 2:34 am
Subject: Re: System Dorked -- Help!
To: d_ba...@012.net.il
Cc: debian-user 

> On Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 10:32 PM,   wrote:
> >
> > - Original Message -
> > From: d_ba...@012.net.il
> > Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 11:18 am
> > Subject: Re: System Dorked -- Help!
> > To: debian-user@lists.debian.org
> >
> >> - Original Message -
> >> From: d_ba...@012.net.il
> >> Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 10:24 am
> >> Subject: System Dorked -- Help!
> >> To: debian-user@lists.debian.org
> >
> >> > After being warned of impending failure of my oldie but 
> goodie 80gig
> >> > disk -- I had placed my root directory there because the 
> installation's>> > partition was too small and did this 
> successfully -- I moved the root
> >> > directory to a partition on another disk, edited files, ran 
> lilo, seemingly
> >> > successfully, and voile: No boot. Get 99's or nothing at all.
> 
> Moved or copied? Did the impending actually fail?

cp -ax  oldrootpartition newrootpartition

> When I do something like this, I generally copy and make sure the
> thing works before abandoning the old boot disk.

Yeah, should have had lilo place the mbr to a different disk. Too late now.

> Is LVM involved? or RAID? Do you have a second disk controller 
> off the
> motherboard and end up using both controllers so that something thinks
> you were trying to use RAID?
> 

No LVM, no RAID

> > Going into a live Debian 7,
> 
> I'm guessing that's Kali?

64-bit Debian 7 live.

> 
> > I mounted the old and new partitions, copied the
> 
> At this point, I'm completely lost about where your boot 
> partition and
> other partitions are. Sorry.
> 

Partition contents successfully copied before hand. I had neglected to copy the 
edited fstab and  lilo.conf so copied these over in the live session.

> > modified files (which had been done on the old version :-( ) 
> and chroot and
> > tried to re-run lilo. Segmentation fault. I had been running 
> an up-to-date
> > Sid so maybe that is the problem. The lilo is on the 
> partition, not on the
> > live distro.
> 
> Yeah, but which partition?
>

chroot was to new root partition containing /boot directory and /etc/lilo.conf
The lilo here would not run, segfault.

 
> >> > Fact is, with certain combination of cabling,
> 
> I assume you are using parallel ATA here like my old box?
> 
> master/slave and position on those cables is always a bit of a mess.
> 
> >> > I had the bootloader
> >> > actually work, load the initrd, and start up, but the new 
> root was not
> >> > connected
> 
> not connected to what?

I had two of the three disks plugged in. The boot disk was, the root disk was 
not. Forget about this.

> 
> >> > so could not proceed. So what can I do about this?
> >> > ‭‮
> >
> > More:
> > I installed to the live distro its lilo
> 
> I'm having a real problem parsing that. You installed a live distro's
> lilo to the live distro?
> 

Yes, I guess from Debian 7, stable?

> Is the live distro on a USB drive or something?

Live CD. It, of course, installs to memory.

> 
> > and ran from command line specifying
> > the configuration file and map.
> 
> Ran what on what command line?

sudo lilo -C pathtonewextlilo.conf -M pathtonewmapfile
or
sudo lilo -r newrootpartition

> 
> > This is what I get:
> > Fatal: Trying to map files from unnamed device 0x0012 
> (NFS/RAID mirror down?)
> >
> 
> So, I'm not the only one having trouble figuring out what you are
> doing where. ;-)
> 
> >> Ok, no segment fault. If I use the -q option, it will display 
> my boot
> >> choices.
> 
> So is this now in the chroot or booting up in lilo on which device?
> 

sudo lilo -r newrootpartition
does the change root and runs the installed lilo there.


> > So, what's next?
> >
> >> ‭‮
> >
> > And more::
> >
> > Found by Googling that I can bind /proc, /dev to chroot and 
> then the
> > installed lilo will run! Same results with or without /proc 
> binding. /dev
> > binding got rid of the original error.
> 
> In the chroot or from BIOS?

sudo mount --bind newrootpartion/dev /dev

> 
> > Boots up with a load of errors but I am now in a machine 
> called "Kali Linux"
> 
> Is Kali the live distro you are using?

NO, but apparently, somewhere on it, is is.

> 
> > I cannot log on to anything. Errors too numerous and fast to 
> see. ACPI, does
> > not work on this system anyway. Login service failed to start. Etc.
> >
> > So maybe!! almost there. What else need I do get back to where 
> I was?
> > Something else to bind?
> > Copy to restore from the original root directory?
> >
> > (Possibly the "user" login from the live distro might work 
> (password?), and
> > I could recreate previous users if need be but that does not 
> touch the other
> > errors.)
> 
> (Talk about chewing gum and bailing wire.)
> 
> First, what was your original partition layout? 

Re: System Dorked -- Help!

[d_baron]

- Original Message -
From: Thomas Schmitt 
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 11:53 pm
Subject: Re: System Dorked -- Help!
To: debian-user@lists.debian.org

> Hi,
> 
> > Hope all those >'s do not foul this up.
> 
> No danger.
> The only problem with ">" is the dreaded ">From" mailbox escape
> which might be confused with ">From" meant as quote.
> 
> 
> > I am using a Debian live CD. So that Kali business comes from 
> there but is
> > nowhere shown when running of the CD.
> 
> Strange. Afaik, Kali is based on Debian but not part of it.
> 
> 
> > The new root not connected -- the SATA cable was not in. As I 
> said, I was
> > experimenting with the cables.
> 
> So what is your system dork intensity, currently ?
> 
> Still lots of error messages from LILO (or booting kernel)
> and no login ?
> 
> 
> Have a nice day :)
> 
> Thomas
> 

Current status:
>From mount of root partition in Debian live session, moun --bind /dev to root 
>partition's dev,
Lilo runs, seemingly OK.

On booting, get errors. Can get to console login titled Kali, but cannot log in 
to it, not previous users, "user," root, nada.

Errors:
Loads of LSB cannot do something
including LVM, but I am not using it.
login daemon.

Tried restoring previous boot loader: lilo -i  ... -M  mbr
Was not bootable.

Re: System Dorked -- Help!

[d_baron]

- Original Message -From: d_ba...@012.net.ilDate: Wednesday, October 
21, 2015 11:18 amSubject: Re: System Dorked -- Help!To: 
debian-user@lists.debian.org> - Original Message -> From: 
d_ba...@012.net.il> Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 10:24 am> Subject: System 
Dorked -- Help!> To: debian-user@lists.debian.org> > After being warned of 
impending failure of my oldie but goodie 80gig disk -- I had placed my root 
directory there because the installation's partition was too small and did this 
successfully -- I moved the root directory to a partition on another disk, 
edited files, ran lilo, seemingly successfully, and voile: No boot. Get 99's or 
nothing at all.Going into a live Debian 7, I mounted the old and new 
partitions, copied the modified files (which had been done on the old version 
:-( ) and chroot and tried to re-run lilo. Segmentation fault. I had been 
running an up-to-date Sid so maybe that is the problem. The lilo is on the 
partition, not on the live distro.> > Fact is, with certain combination of 
cabling, I had the bootloader actually work, load the initrd, and start up, but 
the new root was not connected so could not proceed. So what can I do about 
this?> > ‭‮More:I installed to the live distro its lilo and ran from command 
line specifying the configuration file and map. This is what I get:Fatal: 
Trying to map files from unnamed device 0x0012 (NFS/RAID mirror down ?)> Ok, no 
segment fault. If I use the -q option, it will display my boot choices.So, 
what's next?> ‭‮And more::Found by Googling that I can bind /proc, /dev to 
chroot and then the installed lilo will run! Same results with or without /proc 
binding. /dev binding got rid of the original error.Boots up with a load of 
errors but I am now in a machine called "Kali Linux" I cannot log on to 
anything. Errors too numerous and fast to see. ACPI, does not work on this 
system anyway. Login service failed to start. Etc.So maybe!! almost there. What 
else need I do get back to where I was? Something else to bind?Copy to restore 
from the original root directory?(Possibly the "user" login from the live 
distro might work (password?), and I could recreate previous users if need be 
but that does not touch the other errors.)‭‮

Re: System Dorked -- Help

[d_baron]

 Version without any markup-interpreted markings- Original Message 
-From: Renaud OLGIATI  (Ron)Date: 
Wednesday, October 21, 2015 4:58 pmSubject: Re: System Dorked -- Help!To: 
debian-user@lists.debian.orgOn Wed, 21 Oct 2015 16:32:40 
+0300d_ba...@012.net.il wrote: - Original Message -From: 
d_ba...@012.net.ilDate:  Wednesday, October 21, 2015 11:18 amSubject: Re: 
System Dorked -- Help!To: debian-user@lists.debian.org - Original Message 
-From: d_ba...@012.net.ilDate: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 10:24 am Subject: 
System Dorked -- Help!To: debian-user@lists.debian.orgAfter being warned of 
impending failure of my oldie but goodie 80gig disk -- I had placed my root 
directory there because the installation's partition was too small and did this 
successfully -- I moved the root directory to a partition on another disk, 
edited files, ran lilo, seemingly successfully, and voile: No boot. Get 99's or 
nothing at all.Going into a live Debian 7, I mounted the old and new 
partitions, copied the modified files (which had been done on the old version 
:-) ) and chroot and tried to re-run lilo. Segmentation fault.I had been 
running an up-to-date Sid so maybe that is the problem. The lilo is on the 
partition, not on the live distro.Fact is, with certain combination of cabling, 
I had the bootloader actually work, load the initrd, and start up, but the new 
root was not connected so could not proceed. So what can I do about 
this?More:Tried lilo installed to the live distro  and ran from command line 
specifying the configuration file and map. This is what I get:Fatal: Trying to  
map files from unnamed device 12 (NFS/RAID mirror down ?)Ok, no segment fault. 
If I use the -q option, it will display my boot choices.So, what's next?And 
more:: Googling that I can bind /proc, /dev to chroot and then the installed 
lilo will run! Same results with or without /proc binding./dev binding got rid 
of the original error.Boots up with a load of errors but I am now in a machine 
called "Kali Linux" I cannot log on to anything. Errors too numerous and fast 
to see. ACPI, does not work on this system anyway. Login service failed to 
start. Etc.So maybe!! almost there.What else need I do get back to where I 
was?Something else to bind?Copy to restore from the original root 
directory?Possibly the "user" login from the live distro might work 
(password?), and I could recreate previous users if need be but that does not 
touch the other errors.So what can I do about this?‭‮

Re: System Dorked -- Help!

[d_baron]

Version without any markup-interpreted markings and should!! be formatted as 
plain text. Mail site composer box highlights the alternative rather than 
actual option as it is a link (to a script?). Sorry for any inconvenience.

- Original Message -
From: Renaud OLGIATI  (Ron)
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 4:58 pm
Subject: Re: System Dorked -- Help!
To: debian-user@lists.debian.org

On Wed, 21 Oct 2015 16:32:40 +0300
d_ba...@012.net.il wrote:

 - Original Message -
From: d_ba...@012.net.ilDate:
 Wednesday, October 21, 2015 11:18 amSubject: Re: System Dorked --
 Help!
To: debian-user@lists.debian.org - Original Message -
From: d_ba...@012.net.il
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 10:24 am
Subject: System Dorked -- Help!

To: debian-user@lists.debian.org
After being warned of impending failure
of my oldie but goodie 80gig disk -- I had placed my root
directory there because the installation's partition was too
small and did this successfully -- I moved the root directory
to a partition on another disk, edited files, ran lilo,
seemingly successfully, and voile: No boot. Get 99's or nothing
at all.

Going into a live Debian 7, I mounted the old and new
partitions, copied the modified files (which had been done on
the old version :-) ) and chroot and tried to re-run lilo.
Segmentation fault.

I had been running an up-to-date Sid so
maybe that is the problem. The lilo is on the partition, not on
the live distro. Fact is, with certain combination of
cabling, I had the bootloader actually work, load the initrd,
and start up, but the new root was not connected so could not
proceed.

So what can I do about this?

More:
Tried lilo installed to the live distro  and ran from command
line specifying the configuration file and map. This is what I get:
Fatal: Trying to  map files from unnamed device 12 (NFS/RAID mirror down ?)
Ok, no segment fault. If I use the -q option, it will display my
boot choices.So, what's next?

And more::
Googling that I can bind /proc, /dev to chroot and then the
installed lilo will run! Same results with or without /proc
binding. /dev binding got rid of the original error.

Boots up with a load of errors but I am now in a machine called "Kali
Linux" I cannot log on to anything. Errors too numerous
and fast to see. ACPI, does not work on this system anyway.
Login service failed to start. Etc.

So maybe!! almost there.
What else need I do get back to where I was?
Something else to bind?
Copy to restore from the original root directory?
Possibly the "user" login from the live distro might work
(password?), and I could recreate previous users if need be but
that does not touch the other errors.

So what can I do about this?
‭‮

Re: Thread dorked. (was: Re: System Dorked -- Help!)

[d_baron]

I apologize for any unreadable gibberish. It does not look like that here, only 
in quoted replies from the thread.

Due to the system dorked problem, I am stuck on the live distro. I can only 
sensibly due email from the provider's mail site. Those gt signs which are 
really what is fowling things up. HTML is marked up using lt tag gt. Line 
breaks are also being disrupted.

If someone can plow through any of the version and help me solve my problem, it 
would be of great help.
This should be plain text formatted. Mail composer highlights the "alternative" 
rather than actual option, it seems.
Please confirm this is plain text :-)

Re: System Dorked -- Help!

[d_baron]

- Original Message -
From: Thomas Schmitt 
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 10:31 pm
Subject: Re: System Dorked -- Help!
To: debian-user@lists.debian.org

> Hi,
> 
> Disclaimer: I am much more programmer than sysadmin.
> 
> d_ba...@012.net.il wrote:
> > I had been running an up-to-date Sid so
> > maybe that is the problem. The lilo is on the partition,
> 
> It is unusual to combine Debian Sid with bootloader LILO.
> Installation plants GRUB2 by default.
> 
> I never installed GRUB2 other than by netinst ISO and zero-expert
> setup. But it is said to automatically recognize partitions with
> installed operating systems. Only any special kernel options
> would then have to be transplanted from LILO to GRUB2 configuration
> file.
> 
> Given the dangers of such rescue attempts, i would advise to make
> a double backup of any valuable data first.
> 
> 
> > but the new root was not connected so could not proceed.
> 
> Maybe the Linux kernel is looking for the UUID of the old disk ?
> (Would have learned it from initrd or bootloader kernel arguments.)
> 
> 
> > I am now in a machine called "Kali Linux"
> 
> "Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking". Probably not what you
> need now.
> Maybe you are better of with a Knoppix or a Debian LiveCD.
> For the minimalist there is RIPLinux.
> 
> 
> But how does Kali fail to boot for you ?
> I have kali-linux-dev-amd64.iso from last year and it looks like
> bootable from DVD and USB stick. Quite like a Debian ISO.
> 
> http://docs.kali.org/introduction/kali-linux-default-passwords
> "should you decide to boot the live image [...], the i386, amd64,
>  VMWare and ARM images are configured with the default root 
> password – “toor“, without the quotes."
> 
> 
> Have a nice day :)
> 
> Thomas
> 

Hope all those >'s do not foul this up.

I am using a Debian live CD. So that Kali business comes from there but is 
nowhere shown when running of the CD. I used to like the Knoppix but his stuff 
has gone too far out and I cannot use it.

I do not know how to use Grub. The installation had it but when I wanted two 
kernels around, I had to go back to Lilo. At least I know how that (is supposed 
to) works.

The new root not connected -- the SATA cable was not in. As I said, I was 
experimenting with the cables.

System Dorked -- Help!

[d_baron]

After being warned of impending failure of my oldie but goodie 80gig disk -- I 
had placed my root directory there because the installation's partition was too 
small and did this successfully -- I moved the root directory to a partition on 
another disk, edited files, ran lilo, seemingly successfully, and voile: No 
boot. Get 99's or nothing at all.Going into a live Debian 7, I mounted the old 
and new partitions, copied the modified files (which had been done on the old 
version :-( ) and chroot and tried to re-run lilo. Segmentation fault. I had 
been running an up-to-date Sid so maybe that is the problem. The lilo is on the 
partition, not on the live distro.Fact is, with certain combination of cabling, 
I had the bootloader actually work, load the initrd, and start up, but the new 
root was not connected so could not proceed. So what can I do about this?‭‮

Re: System Dorked -- Help!

[d_baron]

- Original Message -From: d_ba...@012.net.ilDate: Wednesday, October 
21, 2015 10:24 amSubject: System Dorked -- Help!To: 
debian-user@lists.debian.org> After being warned of impending failure of my 
oldie but goodie 80gig disk -- I had placed my root directory there because the 
installation's partition was too small and did this successfully -- I moved the 
root directory to a partition on another disk, edited files, ran lilo, 
seemingly successfully, and voile: No boot. Get 99's or nothing at all.Going 
into a live Debian 7, I mounted the old and new partitions, copied the modified 
files (which had been done on the old version :-( ) and chroot and tried to 
re-run lilo. Segmentation fault. I had been running an up-to-date Sid so maybe 
that is the problem. The lilo is on the partition, not on the live distro.> 
Fact is, with certain combination of cabling, I had the bootloader actually 
work, load the initrd, and start up, but the new root was not connected so 
could not proceed. So what can I do about this?> ‭‮More:I installed to the live 
distro its lilo and ran from command line specifying the configuration file and 
map. This is what I get:Fatal: Trying to map files from unnamed device 0x0012 
(NFS/RAID mirror down ?)Ok, no segment fault. If I use the -q option, it will 
display my boot choices.So, what's next?‭‮

New 64bit install. More problems.

[d_baron]

1. /var/mail/usermail very large, containing hundreds of messages. Should only 
have 10-20. This file serves a dovecot imap server and messages have been read 
and deleted. What is going on here? Especially since the installer gives a very 
(too) small /var partition. (Looks as if /opt, /usr/local and possibly 
/var/mail may be moved to that oversized home partition and rbinded.)


2. No user can access KDE any more. Upgraded something that showed no error 
(used reportbug-ng to check since apt-llistbugs is broken) and now, no kdm 
login can access the dbus. Screen just blinks and returns to login. kdm.log 
cites the dbus problem in K*time*zones, kgreet, whatever. Newer kdm did not 
help. I will check the bug listings for them, however. Meanwhile, KDE unusable 
but command line is fine.


3. System no longer halts ... says it halted but I need to manually cause the 
power to cut off. Maybe related. Packages I suspected were removed but not at 
fault.


I am beginning to think that the Debian installer is good if one simply uses it 
and leaves it be, the snapshot as presented. I am used to having an up-to-date 
Sid box but apparently cannot upgrade to this in an orderly manner. (For all 
the rants, I started out way back when with Knoppix and upgraded and upgraded 
with very few catastrophes!) Hope I am wrong about this, that fixed packages 
will be around tomorrow or soon.


4. Systemd is turning a lot of heads and postings. Yes, indeed, the bootup and 
shutdown are lightning quick!! No more starts and stops of the good old 
days. I do not understand how this indeed works but it apparently does. I hope 
:-)‭‮

Re: Now lost boot dir

[d_baron]

   Using the Debian rescue CD, I built a 2.6.34 kernel compiling  in more. 
However, locale issues prevented me from installing it and  running 
   lilo.  Funny--worked fine last week. I got it to work today. Kernel will 
   still not boot. I am wondering whether to  bite the bullet  and simply 
   install a stock kernel.  Since I need Nouveau,  it would need  to be a 
   more recent kernel, a  2.6.33,4 or 5. Which is recommended  (all are 
   called experimental and many images are simply lacking)?  The standard 
   2.6.32 kernel used by Squeeze (I currently use  2.6.32-5-686 version 
   2.6.32-20) works fine, and includes the nouveau  driver.  The nouveau 
   driver seems to work OK in my experience, as long as you don't need 
   interlaced video modes.OK. Does it work with sid xorg-video-nouveau or 
   does it need the version from testing?  Heard tell of compatibility 
   problems with various nouveau compiles  and its xorg drivers.  This 
   would, of course, use the initrd.  I stopped using initrd when the 
   installations ran yaird and  this never  worked.  Debian has given up 
   on yaird for now.  Stock kernels use initramfs-tools, which seems to work 
   fine.   I used to use the old mkinitrd and have an obselete conf  for 
   it.  Now, the update-initramfs serves this.  Is  this smart enough  to 
   get me running with the newer SATA/PATA drivers (module policy  defaults 
   to most)?  The 2.6.32-5-686 kernel uses the newer libata drivers.   
   Do I need to specify most everything like  in mkinitrd?  MODULES=dep 
   in /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/driver-policy seems to work fine as long 
   as you don't cross build your initial RAM file systems.  I.e. don't 
   build an initial RAM file system for a kernel which uses the old IDE 
   drivers while running a kernel which uses the newer libata drivers, or 
   vice versa.I would run it from the rescue CD which uses the newer libata 
   drivers.(Yaird had a test mode which gave a usable list of what  
   to include.)  If you use the -v switch on update-initramfs it will list 
   the modules that it includes.   Can these images be used with lilo or 
   are they already  too large?  I don't have any personal experience 
   with the amd64 images, but I can attest that the i386 ones work fine 
   with lilo, especially if you use the large-memory option, and especially 
   if you use MODULES=dep. I don't know if I mentioned this earlier, but you 
   might want to take a look at my kernel-building web page, 
   http://www.wowway.com/~zlinuxman/Kernel.htm.  It may have some 
   information that you will find useful, even if you use a stock kernel, 
   and especially if you use lilo.I'll give it a look!This new computer is a 
   two-core intel so I assume it is 64 bit but that does not require me to 
   use 64 bits, especially just to get the thing booting normally again.

Re: Now lost boot dir

[d_baron]

Using the Debian rescue CD, I built a 2.6.34 kernel compiling in more. However, 
locale issues prevented me from installing it and running lilo. Funny--worked 
fine last week.I am wondering whether to bite the bullet and simply install a 
stock kernel. Since I need Nouveau, it would need to be a more recent kernel, 
a  2.6.33,4 or 5. Which is recommended (all are called experimental and many 
images are simply lacking)? Heard tell of compatibility problems with various 
nouveau compiles and its xorg drivers.This would, of course, use the initrd. I 
stopped using initrd when the installations ran yaird and this never worked. I 
used to use the old mkinitrd and have  an obselete conf for it. Now, the 
update-initramfs serves this. Is this smart enough to get me running with the 
newer SATA/PATA drivers (module policy defaults to most)? Do I need to 
specify most everything like in mkinitrd? (Yaird had a test mode which gave a 
usable list of what to include.) Can these images be used with lilo or are they 
already too large?

Re: Now lost boot dir

[d_baron]

 David Baron wrote:Diagnostics failed in attemts to reach you, trying 
 emial with .comYour e-mail arrived as one continuous long line.  
 There  were no line breaks whatsoever.  I don't know what tool you used, 
 but  please try to fine a more user-friendly tool next time.  I had to 
 manually reformat the whole thing.  Also, you sent the e-mail to me only 
 and did not copy the list. Never saw anything like that. This stuff was 
 simply cut and paste from a kde3 konsole window into the on-line mailer of my 
 provider (I am running off a live CD, though kmail might be OK). The original 
 that did not make it through was done in kwrite and that probably formatted 
 OK. Sorry 'bout that. (But wait, doesn't the whole world handle line breaks 
 like ... Windows (CR + LF))? I will inform the provider about what 
 happened!)  Note: I am not using an initrd so update-initramfs is not 
 relevant!That's right, I forgot about that.   $ cat 
 /mnt/hdb2/etc/fstab  # /etc/fstab: filesystem table.#  # filesystem  
 mountpoint  type  options   dump  pass  # ROOT/dev/sdb2  / ext3 
 defaults,errors=remount-ro   0  1  # BOOT/dev/sdb1 /boot ext3 
 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 2  /dev/sda4  none  swap  sw  0  0  
 /dev/sdb3  none  swap  sw  0  0  proc  /proc  proc  defaults  0  0  
 /dev/fd0  /floppy  vfat   defaults,user,noauto,sync,exec,umask=022  0  0  
 #second master is now on /dev/hdc  # maintaining older mount directories 
 for convenience  #changed by david baron  #/dev/hdb /mnt/hdc  iso9660   
 defaults,user,noexec,noauto,unhide  0  0  # Added by KNOPPIX, made auto by 
 david (I am taking out auto  for summer)  /dev/sda1 /mnt/hda1 vfat  
 auto,user,exec,umask=000,uid=david,gid=david 0 0  # SHARED  DATA (left this 
 way for convenience)  /dev/sda5 /mnt/hda6 vfat  
 auto,user,exec,umask=000,uid=david,gid=david 0 0  # AUDIO was on 
 hdb--changed to hdc, keep older directories for  convenience /dev/sdc5  
 /mnt/hdb5 vfat noauto,user,exec,umask=000,uid=david,gid=david  0 0  # Do I 
 need such as this?   none    /proc/bus/usb   usbfs   
 defaults    0 0  # temporary memory for qemu, et al?  none /dev/shm 
 tmpfs rw,size=512m 0 0  # mount win98 image to my test folder  
 /mnt/hda6/win98.img /home/david/test auto  
 noauto,loop,offset=32256,umask=022,user # mount mp3 player  #/dev/sda 
 /mnt/mp3player auto  defaults,user,noauto  0 0  #/dev/sdb 
 /mnt/pictureframe auto defaults,user,noauto 0 0  # mount cell phone usb  
 #/dev/sda1 /mnt/phone auto  defaults,user,noauto   0 0  #/dev/sdb1 
 /mnt/phone-sd auto  defaults,user,noauto   0 0  #/dev/sdd1 
 /mnt/phone-sd auto  defaults,user,noauto   0 0  # NEW STUFF FOR 
 LVM/dev/DB- LVM/LV_OPT  /opt    ext3    defaults    
 1 2  /dev/DB- LVM/LV_USR  /usr    ext3    
 defaults    1 2  /dev/DB- LVM/LV_VAR  /var    
 ext3    defaults    1 2  /dev/DB- LVM/LV_HOME 
 /home   ext3    defaults    1 2  #/dev/DB- 
 LVM2/LV_AUX    /mnt/aux    ext3    defaults    1 2  I'm 
 really confused.  As I've said before, I don't know  anything about LVMs, 
 so that may be part of the problem.  But I don't see  anything mounted as 
 /. I also see a bunch of stuff that is confusing.  I see stuff  mounted on 
 pass 0, for example, that I would expect to see mounted on pass 2.   And 
 you're not using any uuids in /etc/fstab.  Maybe with this  information, 
 someone else who is familiar with LVMs can make sense of this. The LVM are 
 added by the lvm system config program and I seriously doubt if they are the 
 problem. If there be no root, those LVM volumes are irrelevant. The lines:# 
 ROOT/dev/sdb2  / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro  0  1are this way in the 
 actual file! That was one line break you missed in all the mess!Those numbers 
 0 0, et al, were placed by the original Knoppix hard-disk installation. I 
 might have copied and so propagated them in a few places. If  you feel that 
 some of them are not proper, they can be easily enough changed. I do not 
 fully understand them so just left them as-is.Here are more. Note 
 from knoppix-5 CD, paths reference hd...  rathern than sd... disk device 
 names.  This is why other sd stuff was commented above as will need to  be 
 changed.$ ls -Al /dev/disk/by-id/  total 0  lrwxrwxrwx 1 root 
 root  9 Aug 30 10:00 ata-WDC_WD400BB- 00DEA0_WD-WMAD19873947 - ../../hda  
 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Aug 30 10:00 ata-WDC_WD400BB- 
 00DEA0_WD-WMAD19873947-part1 - ../../hda1  lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Aug 
 30 10:00 ata-WDC_WD400BB- 00DEA0_WD-WMAD19873947-part2 - ../../hda2  
 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Aug 30 10:00 ata-WDC_WD400BB- 
 00DEA0_WD-WMAD19873947-part3 - ../../hda3  lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Aug 
 30 10:00 ata-WDC_WD400BB- 00DEA0_WD-WMAD19873947-part4 - ../../hda4  
 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Aug 30 10:00 ata-WDC_WD400BB- 
 00DEA0_WD-WMAD19873947-part5 - ../../hda5  lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Aug 
 

Re: Now lost boot dir

[d_baron]

  defaults    1 2 /dev/DB- LVM/LV_HOME /home     
    ext3     defaults    1 2 #/dev/DB- LVM2/LV_AUX    
 /mnt/aux     ext3     defaults    1 2  I'm really confused.  
 As I've said before, I don't know  anything about LVMs, so that may be 
 part of the problem.  For fstab, and most other places, they are just a 
 partition with  an odd name.   /dev/VG0/LV0 might as well be /dev/sda1 as 
 far as most tools are  concerned. But I don't see anything mounted as /. 
  That's a problem.There IS a /dev/sdb2 / mount, got mangled in the missing 
 email line-breaks.  I also see a bunch of stuff that is confusing.  
 Agreed.  Removable media should not be mounted using the  kernel device name 
  (e.g. /dev/sda or /dev/sdb1), since it is likely to  change.  I'd likely 
 remove  some of the comments just to make the active lines more visible.That 
 is why  I commented them out for now.  And you're not using any uuids in 
 /etc/fstab.  If you use LVM snapshots, you shouldn't use UUIDs for LVM  
 volumes, since the  UUID of the file system in the snapshot will be the same 
 as the  UUID of the  original file system.  So, /dev/DB-LVM* entries are 
 fine, but the rest should probably  be changed to  LABEL=* / UUID=* 
 entries. Probably so but putting all that in is what started the demise of my 
 system. I will stick with /dev/sdb style until I can get things booting up 
 again, then take lessons on how to go to the newer, more transportable 
 convention.Anyway, if the root does not get recognized and mounted, all the 
 other questions are academic.

Re: Now lost boot dir

[d_baron]

Progress: Using Debian Live rescue, was able to mount my volumes, reinstall the 
kernel, run update-initramfs and lilo. (Only thing lost was the debian.bmp 
which looked gosh-awful on my screen anyway--works without it.)Results, back to 
where I was:  2.6.34 Will Not Boot. It loads up, begins the process and then 
panics out with cannot find root device sdb2 (my root partition), offers no 
alternatives (2.6.32 did once offer a list of parititons on the previous 
computer where this problem started but the could not find the hdb2 it should 
have found!). Since, without that bitmap, I have a type-in menu on bootup, I 
tried stuff like 2.6.34 append root=/dev/sdb2 and variations of that to no 
avail.So: How do I fix this thing, step-by-step? The 2.6.34 was compiled with 
the newer PATA/SATA driver so  will create sdb's rather than hdb's (I would 
have no objection going back to 2.6.32 and the hdb's if this be than answer but 
that did not either before on this system).In any event, all my volumes are 
intact and I can offload to a new disk if I so choose and restart from there 
but it would seem it should make no difference.

Debian Live Rocks!

[d_baron]

Comes up automatically with a gorgeous (but empty) kde4 desktop using the 
nouveau driver for my nvidia and this rocks!I said to a friend of mine: Who 
needs disks? Use this and each user can plug in a USB disk on key and go to 
town :-)Knoppix (until version 5, at least), however is more accessable. Gives 
a more populate desktop and its own menu on how to do stuff like create a 
persistent nest. Until I solve my bootup problems, I would like to do the same 
thing with Debian Live. How might I do this (then I can populate the desktop 
and panel and keep the stuff for the next session)? Who knows, it I cannot 
solve my bootup problem, I might just follow my own suggestion!

Re: Now lost boot dir

[d_baron]

  Dead in the water. What to do keeping data in lvm partitions?  Best reply 
  off list also. Thanks for any help!  As I said before, I have no 
  experience with LVMs and therefore can't be of much help on a recovery.  
  Sorry.All of the data (except for the boot dir which was not in LVM) should 
  be perfectly intact.I need a live CD which supports LVM (Knoppix 5.* does 
  not) which will mount these volumes.From there, I can either copy off 
  needed data to another disk or chroot, reinstall some kernel images and set 
  up lilo or grub and be up and running.That live CD is the key. Which one?

Re: 2.6.34 Will Not Boot

[d_baron]

 You should be able to install lvm on Knoppix. If you can't and have access 
 to the net, you can download a Debian/Fedora/Ubuntu live cd, install lvm, 
 and mount your LVslvm is on Knoppix. However, support for it is not build 
 into the kernel so it cannot mount them. I also cannot chroot--it says 
 kernel too old. (Knoppix 5 is using 2.6.17)IF the Debian or Ubuntu live-CDs 
 have appropriately build kernels, might enable me to rebuild my system. At 
 least to get data to another disk.lvm is a great tool but leaves little 
 recourse if something goes wrong.

Re: 2.6.34 Will Not Boot

[d_baron]

I made changes recommended by replies to my original message since I have no 
idea what the drive's /dev files will be called on the new system. Low and 
behold, I get the error on booting both older 2.6.32 and new 2.6.34 kernels! It 
starts to boot up just fine but then panics at the root device which it cannot 
find.

Since my knoppix disc does not have lvm, I cannot fix it. No Debian right now 
:-(

What can I do? (Writing this from the old knoppix 3.4 from a web-mail 
interface.)

Relay Not Permitted

[d_baron]

Most all email I send out is now rejected with such a message. Even sent to 
myself!

Is this an exim4 bug? Workaround?


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