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Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 14:06:19 +0000
From: John Murphy <freebsd001@freeode.co.uk>
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
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Subject: Re: What's the point of the shell choice in single user mode?
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On Sat, 1 Dec 2007 06:18:13 +0000
RW <fbsd06@mlists.homeunix.com> wrote:

> On Sat, 1 Dec 2007 04:44:27 +0000
> John Murphy <freebsd001@freeode.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> > I've just successfully done the world and kernel upgrade from 7 beta2
> > to beta3. I've always had a mergemaster phobia, but it didn't seem too
> > bad this time. I thought I'd broken it after choosing /bin/tcsh as my
> > shell in single user mode. It grumbled about termcap (I think) and
> > then gave me a "simple shell" with a % prompt.
> > ...
> > I'll know to always accept the suggested /bin/sh in future, but I was
> > wondering if the only reason a choice of a different shell is offered
> > is to scare the unwary.
> 
> Selecting /bin/[t]csh always works for me.

I just tried it again with exactly the same results (FreeBSD-7.0 beta3):

[after pressing 4 at the Beasty menu]

Trying to mount root from ufs:/dev/ad4s2a
Enter full path name of shell or RETURN for /bin/sh:
/bin/tcsh
sh: Cannot open /etc/termcap
sh: using dumb terminal settings
%fsck -p
fsck: Command not found
%mount -u /
mount: Command not found
%reboot
reboot: Command not found
%exit
logout ... continues to a Login prompt.

Pressing RETURN or typing /bin/sh gets a '#' prompt and working fsck etc.

Is your /etc/termcap a symlink?

ll /etc/termcap
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root  wheel  23 Nov 15 20:27 /etc/termcap -> /usr/share/misc/termcap

-- 
Thanks, John.