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From: paquette@cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Trevor Paquette)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: versions command + warning
Message-ID: <1990Jun28.035742.2031@calgary.uucp>
Date: 28 Jun 90 03:57:42 GMT
Sender: news@calgary.uucp (Network News Manager)
Organization: The University of Calgary
Lines: 34


  This is a word of warning to anyone who might be wanting to use the
'versions' command to 'remove' versions of software on an SGI. When using
this command MAKE SURE THAT YOU ADD THE SUB_SYSTEM NAME OF THE SYSTEM YOU
WANT TO REMOVE. 
  Today I accidently hit return before typing in the name of the NFS
subsystem that I wanted to remove.
 ie: what I wanted -> "versions remove nfs.sw.nfs" (something like that anyway)
     what I typed ->  "versions remove <CR> nfs.sw.nfs<CR>".

  My hand brushed the return key accidently. When I realized what I did, ie
 the drive was taking WAY longer then it should have to delete JUST the NFS
system, it was to late. I hit the 'delete' key (break on my system, 240GTX)
and tried "ls" ...command not found.. "df" ..command not found.. (yikes)
"ps" ..command not found..(don't look so good)..
  No problem I thought.. I'll just reload the 3.3 software.. "inst" ..
command not found.. (starting to sweat a bit here).. 
  "sync".. command not found.. "/etc/halt".. command not found.. Power down,
wait 10 secs.. power up.. (this was to get to the "Install system software"
menu on boot up(.. wait.. wait wait.. nothing.. a DEAD 240GTX.. I now
have to get ahold of a boot tape and hope to God that I can salvage what was
on the drives.. If I have to reformat I have lost alot of work. (yes I have
backed up, but not for the past week).

***Why doesn't versions ask "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS?"?!?!?!?!?!***

It looks like it deleted all of the Unix commands and vmunix and god knows
what else before I stopped it. 
  Is there anyway I might be able to salvage what was on the disks once
this happens???
___________________________________________/No man is a failure who has friends
Trevor Paquette  ICBM:51'03"N/114'05"W|I accept the challange, body and soul,
{ubc-cs,utai,alberta}!calgary!paquette|to seek the knowledge of the ones of old
paquette@cpsc.ucalgary.ca             | - engraved on the Kersa Blade of Esalon