Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!crdgw1!uunet!dkwgate!twisted.dkw.com!jr From: jr@twisted.dkw.com (J.R. Jesson) Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386 Subject: Re: Booting Interactive UNIX in single user mode. Keywords: Interactive boot single user Message-ID: <1991Mar28.231111.18260@dkwgate.uucp> Date: 28 Mar 91 23:11:11 GMT References: Sender: news@dkwgate.uucp (NewsSoftware) Reply-To: jr@dkwgate.dkw.com Organization: DKW Systems Corporation Lines: 34 In article , malcolmp@otca.oz (Malcolm Purvis) writes: |> |> The installation of a new network device and driver on one of our |> Interactive 2.0.2 machines has resulted in an error in the /etc/netd.cf file |> and so /etc/netd fails when the machine reboots. This has had the useful side |> effect of hanging the reboot sequence so I never get a login prompt and thus |> can't fix the file. |> |> So, is there anyway I can boot up the thing in single user mode so I can |> fix the stupid file? The man page for init says that it will only prompt for |> an init level to start up in if there is no initdefault entry in /etc/inittab, |> which of course there is by default and I have no way of logging in to change |> it. Is there anything I can do short of reinstalling UNIX? |> Grumble! I've run into exactly the same situation under 2.2. The only way I was able to get things restored was to: (1) bring up ISC from the boot/install diskettes. *Whatever* you do, dont select install at the menu; instead type either update -or- shell (I'm doing this from memory, so bear with me). The point is to get to the minimal shell as quickly as possible. (2) mount the root partition on /mnt. You wont have the ls command on the install diskette, so it may be tough to figure it out, but evenutally you will get there. As I remember, the mount command works a little differently from the boot floppies than normal. (3) goto /mnt/etc and rename inittab to something else. (4) type shutdown at the command prompt. This should work. It worked for me at about 2:00 am, so with a little care you shouldnt have to reinstall the O.S. (Pain in the ass, aint it?) J.R.