Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 10:59:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Maude User <maudeuser@yahoo.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Need to boot from CD and delete a file on the hard drive Message-ID: <20051025175957.76667.qmail@web31609.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
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Hello All -- SUMMARY: I changed a configuration file and now I can no longer boot from my hard drive (but I can still boot from the CD). I would like to boot from the CD and undo my change to the configuration file -- but when I boot from the CD it automatically launches the install program. Is there a way to boot from the boot CD and get a shell and make a change to a file on the hard drive? (I got an "emergency shell" after booting from the CD -- but I can't figure out how to access my hard drive filesystem from it.) DETAILS: I was trying to set up a serial console using the instructions here: http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/serialconsole-setup.html I typed the following at the prompt: # echo 'console="comconsole"' >> /boot/loader.conf then unplugged my regular keyboard and tried to reboot -- but the machine now freezes on bootup. I now want to boot from a CD and remove the file /boot/loader.conf from the hard drive. Then I should be able to boot normally again from the hard drive. I went into the BIOS and booted from the CD and this put me in the install program. I don't want to install everything again -- I just want to boot up from the CD and execute the following command at the prompt: # rm /boot/loader.conf After booting from the CD, I found a command in the install program to enter an "emergency shell" and accessed this shell by hitting ALT-F4 -- but if I do an "rm" command in this emergency shell, it doesn't apply to the filesystem on the hard drive -- it applies to the CD. I need to delete the file /boot/loader.conf while booting from the CD. Is there any way to fix this without installing FreeBSD all over again? Thanks. Scott Alexander --------------------------------- Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.
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