Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!SNOW-WHITE.MERIT-TECH.COM!goss
From: goss@SNOW-WHITE.MERIT-TECH.COM (Mike Goss)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re:  Single user mode.
Message-ID: <8906061547.AA23239@snow-white.merit-tech.com>
Date: 6 Jun 89 15:47:02 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 32

> My question now is: 
> 
> How can I access the /etc/fstab file if the machine refuses
> to reboot? Can I access it from the miniroot?
> 
> Andrea Malagoli
> 
> University of Chicago.
	
To get into single user mode on a Personal Iris, the following
arcane procedure is necessary:
	
During system boot, you will get a message on the
screen that says something like 

	"Starting system, type ESC for maintenance mode"

Hit the ESC key.  You will see a menu with several choices.
Type "5" to select the "Command Monitor".  Enter the command:

	setenv initstate s

This tells the system to boot to single user mode on the next boot.
Exit the command monitor with a ^D (control-D) to get back to
the maintenance menu, then select "1" (start sytem).  This should
get you into single user mode.

You can then edit /etc/fstab to fix your nfs problems, after which 
you should reboot the system to get back to normal, multi-user mode.

Mike Goss
Merit Technology Inc.