Very Computer

Please help me!!

    My redhat Linux 5.2 box will NOT boot completely, and drops me into a
bash shell under root to fix the problem, which I will describe as best I
can.  Prior to this situation, the machine re-booted normally.   Before this
error occured, I changed but one thing -- I added 4 lines to the "rc.local"
file to help install IP Masquerading.  I'll list them here:

        /sbin/depmod -a
        /sbin/modprobe ip_masq_ftp
        /sbin/modprobe ip_masq_raudio
        /sbin/modprobe ip_masq_irc

    I understand that "rc.local" is one of the last files to be run during
the boot sequence.  I also understand that as root, I should be able to
manipulate this file in the shell and *hopefully* reboot normally.
    So I tried to delete the offending lines of code, but was unable to do
so, as the file is write protected.   I thought that this was due to the
file permissions, so I tried to change them with chmod.  Sadly, nothing
helped, and all chmod calls failed to change its permissions.  Despite the
file being owned by root and its ls -l configuration set as
            -rwxr-xr-x
   I was unable to change it in vi.
   Any thoughts out there?  Should I try a different editor?  Are the file
permissions set somewhere else that may be affecting this file?  Is chmod
even the right way to go?  One thing I do have is a copy of the original
"rc.local" on another system.  Is there anyway to override this write
protection and copy the original back in?
    I will be grateful for any info you can pass my way!!

Thanks in Advance,
April Escamilla

Quote:> Please help me!!

>     So I tried to delete the offending lines of code, but was unable to do
> so, as the file is write protected.   I thought that this was due to the
> file permissions, so I tried to change them with chmod.  Sadly, nothing
> helped, and all chmod calls failed to change its permissions.  Despite the
> file being owned by root and its ls -l configuration set as
>             -rwxr-xr-x
>    I was unable to change it in vi.
>    Any thoughts out there?  Should I try a different editor?  Are the file
> permissions set somewhere else that may be affecting this file?  Is chmod
> even the right way to go?  One thing I do have is a copy of the original
> "rc.local" on another system.  Is there anyway to override this write
> protection and copy the original back in?
>     I will be grateful for any info you can pass my way!!

> Thanks in Advance,
> April Escamilla

  I'll bet the file system was still mounted read only. Try remounting it
read/write.

  Mike McDonald

: Please help me!!
:
:     My redhat Linux 5.2 box will NOT boot completely, and drops me into a
: bash shell under root to fix the problem, which I will describe as best I
: can.  

While you've posted a lot of information, I'm not sure that the problem that
is preventing you from booting has been shown.  That is, generally, when the
system drops you to a shell to fix a boot problem, it's because "fsck" failed
on one or more disks.

Post the output immediately prior to the system puts you in a shell.  This
will ensure that the problem that is being worked on is the right one.  

: Prior to this situation, the machine re-booted normally.   Before this
: error occured, I changed but one thing -- I added 4 lines to the "rc.local"
: file to help install IP Masquerading.  I'll list them here:
:
:         /sbin/depmod -a
:         /sbin/modprobe ip_masq_ftp
:         /sbin/modprobe ip_masq_raudio
:         /sbin/modprobe ip_masq_irc

No obvious problem here.

:
:     I understand that "rc.local" is one of the last files to be run during
: the boot sequence.  I also understand that as root, I should be able to
: manipulate this file in the shell and *hopefully* reboot normally.

Yes, this is true.

:     So I tried to delete the offending lines of code, but was unable to do
: so, as the file is write protected.   I thought that this was due to the
: file permissions, so I tried to change them with chmod.  Sadly, nothing
: helped, and all chmod calls failed to change its permissions.  Despite the
: file being owned by root and its ls -l configuration set as
:             -rwxr-xr-x
:    I was unable to change it in vi.

Did "vi" say the file was "write protected", or did it say "file is
read-only".  There is a difference!

Aha!  If it was "read-only", then this suggests that there was a problem with
"fsck" on the disk containing the root partition, so the root partition is
mounted read-only when it dropped you into the shell.  

So, again, post what's on the screen when it drops you to the shell.  

        Stu

You need to remount the file system read/write before you can change
anything.  What was the error that made the system fail to come up?

--
http://www.fnet.net/~ellis/photo

Quote:

>Aha!  If it was "read-only", then this suggests that there was a problem with
>"fsck" on the disk containing the root partition, so the root partition is
>mounted read-only when it dropped you into the shell.  

>So, again, post what's on the screen when it drops you to the shell.  

If it actualy does this, you are supposed to run fsck on the file system
where fsck failed.  That would typically be thr root file system.

Repeat this until fsck completes without errors, and then reboot.

Ignoring this procedure can lead to a 10 fold more troubles later.

Villy