Guest novalogix Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 i have recently successfully caused my mandrake to ceased functioning. i initially had a minor fstab and mtab problem, but i went ahead with much silliyness to take things in my own inexperience hands and now it cant even get pass booting. read here to help me. i am considering reinstalling or repairing. i would prefer to not reinstall as it will mean that i have to do all the settings again. so is there a way to repair mandrake without losing any data or settings? i am still very new to this, so please help me out. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Scrimpshire Posted September 18, 2004 Report Share Posted September 18, 2004 (edited) This is fixable and it'll be a learning experience. I hope you'll let me guide you at fixing it instead of reinstalling. Let me try to help you here. As I understand it, this is what you have in fstab right now: none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0 /dev/hda7 /home ext3 defaults 1 2 /dev/hdc /mnt/cdrom auto umask=0,user,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850,noauto,ro,exec 0 0 /dev/hdd /mnt/cdrom2 auto umask=0,user,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850,noauto,ro 0 0 none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,sync,codepage=850 0 0 /dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c ntfs umask=0,nls=iso8859-15 0 0 /dev/hdb1 /mnt/windows auto umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850 0 0 none /proc proc defaults 0 0 /dev/hda6 swap swap defaults 0 0 /dev/hda5 /mnt/hd auto umask=0,nls=iso8859-15 0 0 mtab only tells you what is actually mounted, so we won't deal with that right now. Let me start with the parts of fstab that concern us, the HDs and their partitions: /dev/hda7 /home ext3 defaults 1 2 /dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c ntfs umask=0,nls=iso8859-15 0 0 /dev/hdb1 /mnt/windows auto umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850 0 0 /dev/hda6 swap swap defaults 0 0 /dev/hda5 /mnt/hd auto umask=0,nls=iso8859-15 0 0 We're not gonna remove the entries I have omitted, I just wanted you to be able to see these more clearly. /dev/hda1 is where a windows partition is, which is ntfs. You will only be able to read it and not write to it. You have another windows on the second HD, which may or may not be ntfs. I can't tell because the filesystem says 'auto' so I assume it is Fat32. Anyway, lets make the /mnt/win_c entry look more like the /dev/hdb1 entry: /dev/hdb1 /mnt/windows auto auto,users,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850 0 0 /dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c ntfs auto,users,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850 0 0 Notice the part in both that I added and how I changed the /dev/hda1 entry to match more closely the /dev/hdb1 one. Now to fix your Linux root partition. It looks to me like you mean to have 3 partitions, which is good /dev/hda5 -> Root partition -> / /dev/hda6 -> Swap /dev/hda7 -> Home partition -> /home I'm assuming / is supposed to be ext3 since /home is, but the entry for / is messed up. Fix it like so: Instead of /dev/hda5 /mnt/hd auto umask=0,nls=iso8859-15 0 0 make it: /dev/hda5 / ext3 defaults 1 2 Now, you're going to ask me, how do I edit /etc/fstab? My program that lets me read the Linux partitions won't allow me to write to them. Good question. First get a Knoppix ISO and burn it (checking the md5sum, of course): http://www.knoppix.net/get.php Put it in the cdrom and reboot into Knoppix. Open a console in Knoppix and type su <<hit enter>> nano /etc/fstab Find the entry for /dev/hda5 and add rw right after the word 'exec', putting a comma between exec and rw and between rw and the next. Now hit ctrl-o, hit enter, hit ctrl-x Now in the console, type umount /dev/hda5 <<hit enter>> mount /dev/hda5 <<hit enter>> nano /mnt/hda5/etc/fstab <<hit enter>> Edit that fstab just like I mention up there and hit ctrl-o, hit enter, hit ctrl-x. Type reboot <<hit enter>> Remove the disk and hit Enter when prompted and then try to boot to linux. You should now be able to. We could have done this with the installation CD1 under Rescue mode, but I wanted you to see how to do it this way. Edited September 18, 2004 by Steve Scrimpshire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest novalogix Posted September 19, 2004 Report Share Posted September 19, 2004 thanks dude for such a prompt and complete help. it is most valuable, this is what i love of linux, it is always fixable! well, just a good learning experience for me. will try this once i get a chance to do it. Got some work to finish! :D Are you saying that what you shown me is the DIY way to fix it, but it is automated in the cd? coz it will be nice to have it as an option if i dont have time to get it fixed manually :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Scrimpshire Posted September 19, 2004 Report Share Posted September 19, 2004 Well, it is not automated on the CD, but it would've saved a step or two. After thinking about it though, this was/is the better way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest novalogix Posted September 20, 2004 Report Share Posted September 20, 2004 sorry to trouble u, but just out of a little laziness and curiosity, is there any other way to solve this problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Scrimpshire Posted September 21, 2004 Report Share Posted September 21, 2004 Afraid not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest novalogix Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 (edited) i have fixed the fstab problem and i am now able to log back into linux. the problem is still there for the mounting of filesystems. i have 2 ntfs filesystems and they are still not functioning now. they used to be win_c(store) and win_c2 (XP). / used to be recognised as Harddisk the following is my fstab: /dev/hda5 / ext3 defaults 1 2 /dev/hda6 swap swap defaults 0 0 /dev/hda7 /home ext3 defaults 1 2 /dev/hdc /mnt/cdrom auto umask=0,user,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850,noauto,ro 0 0 /dev/hdd /mnt/cdrom2 auto umask=0,user,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850,noauto,ro,exec 0 0 none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,sync,codepage=850 0 0 /dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c ntfs auto,users,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850 0 0 /dev/hdb1 /mnt/win_c2 ntfs auto,users,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850 0 0 none /mnt/hd supermount dev=/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target1/lun0/part1,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,kudzu,codepage=850 0 0 and this is my mtab: /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part5 / ext3 rw 0 0 none /proc/bus/usb usbfs rw 0 0 none /dev devfs rw 0 0 none /sys sysfs rw 0 0 /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part7 /home ext3 rw 0 0 none /mnt/floppy supermount rw,sync,dev=/dev/fd0,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850 0 0 none /mnt/hd supermount rw,dev=/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target1/lun0/part1,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850 0 0 Edited September 27, 2004 by novalogix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris:b Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 This is my fstab entry (default created by the installer and working): /dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c ntfs umask=0,nls=iso8859-15,ro 0 0 Make sure your mountpoints do exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest novalogix Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 can u show me what else is wrong with my fstab and mtab? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris:b Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 (edited) Only you know what's wrong with it, because I don't know where/what your partitions actually are. * forget about the mtab, as Steve already said. Forget it. * backup your fstab * make sure (look at them !) which mountpoints you have under /mnt - do you have /mnt/win_c and /mnt/win_c2 * if yes, then replace the two lines: /dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c ntfs auto,users,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850 0 0 /dev/hdb1 /mnt/win_c2 ntfs auto,users,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850 0 0 with these lines: /dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c ntfs umask=0,nls=iso8859-15,ro 0 0 /dev/hdb1 /mnt/win_c2 ntfs umask=0,nls=iso8859-15,ro 0 0 * save the edited fstab * reboot, any error maessages, if yes: which errors? What is this entry in your fstab: none /mnt/hd supermount dev=/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target1/lun0/part1,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,kudzu,codepage=850 0 0 Makes no sense to me. Did you create this? Or do you have a usb hd connected? (why did you change your working fstab after the install, I don't get it ..) * learn more about mounting and fstab: man mount man fstab * learn about how partitions are numbered and called in Linux :-) The lazy way to repair a messed up Mandrake 10.0 system: * insert your first MDK install cd * choose install * choose: upgrade after the installer detects your mdk system * answer the questions. Your config will be set back to the defaults. And maybe some updates and add. software you have installed are erased. You'll get a fresh 10.0 system. Edited September 27, 2004 by anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest novalogix Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 none /mnt/hd supermount dev=/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target1/lun0/part1,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,kudzu,codepage=850 0 0 keeps coming back on its own when i restart linux. i did some changes to my systems BIOS and then the hard disk became messed up and lead to all these problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamw Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 that wouldn't be for a USB hard disk. it's using the devfs name for the partition you'd usually identify as hdb1 (read it like this: bus0 is the first IDE port, so hda or hdb; target1 means hdb (hda would be target0); lun0 is not relevant to any IDE device you'll ever come across, so ignore it; part1 is the partition number). So this is actually the same as /dev/hdb1. It's a duplicate entry for that partition - which it seems is actually NTFS - which tries to mount it as an ext2 or fat32 partition via supermount. This looks broken. I think harddrake is probably putting it there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Scrimpshire Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 (edited) You say "/ used to be recognised as Harddisk" but that's nt really possible. That's your root partition. Now, on with other things. You booted to linux, so that's one hurdle overcome. When fstab is as messed up as yours was originally, there is no way that I would suggest to anyone to try the 'fake upgrade' , because the installer is going to see those partitions as fstab sees them and you could mess things up worse. By no means do I mean that as an insult to Anna. Anna has come a long way in her knowledge of Linux. She's been on the board a shorter amount of time than I, but I believe her knowledge greatly exceeds mine...which is not saying much, really, but I'll quit while I'm ahead. With that out of the way, when you boot, it looks like it mounts that strange partition under /mnt/hd. When you go there, what does it look like? It should be the contents of your slave drive. Originally, your fstab had this munted as /mnt/windows, so it could possibly be that because the mountpoint does not exist, supermount creates one for it, but I don't know. Yes, the /dev/ entry for it shows it to be ide, but I've never seen kudzu be assigned to manage ide devices, only usb. Anyway, if yu could tell us which entry it is supposed to be, that would help. Try creating the mountpoint as root in a console: mkdir /mnt/win_c2 If it does not exist, remove that entry in fstab, reboot and see if it comes back. Disclaimer: Any missing 'o's, 'i's, or 'u's in the above post (or this disclaimer) are strictly the fault of a tricky laptop keyboard and not the spelling abilities f the author. Edited September 27, 2004 by Steve Scrimpshire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest novalogix Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 (edited) it does come back, and when i open it, it is empty. btw, i have fixed all the rest of the problems now. all partitions are mounted correctly. thanks a lot fellows. this is now my fstab: /dev/hda5 / ext3 defaults 1 2 /dev/hda6 swap swap defaults 0 0 /dev/hda7 /home ext3 defaults 1 2 /dev/hdc /mnt/cdrom auto umask=0,user,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850,noauto,ro 0 0 /dev/hdd /mnt/cdrom2 auto umask=0,user,iocharset=iso8859-15,codepage=850,noauto,ro,exec 0 0 none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,sync,codepage=850 0 0 /dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c ntfs auto,users,umask=0,nls=iso8859-15 0 0 /dev/hdb1 /mnt/win_c2 ntfs auto,users,umask=0,nls=iso8859-15 0 0 none /dev/pts devpts mode-0620 0 0 none /proc proc defaults 0 0 none /mnt/hd supermount dev=/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target1/lun0/part1,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-15,kudzu,codepage=850 0 0 Edited September 28, 2004 by novalogix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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