From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Oct 25 19:00:30 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5E0FF16A420 for ; Tue, 25 Oct 2005 19:00:30 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from micahjon@ywave.com) Received: from smtpout1.ywave.com (ycomradius.yelmtel.com [216.227.100.60]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 8EB7743D7D for ; Tue, 25 Oct 2005 19:00:25 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from micahjon@ywave.com) Received: (qmail 12897 invoked by uid 502); 25 Oct 2005 19:00:24 -0000 Received: from dsl28217.ywave.com (HELO ?192.168.1.65?) (micahjon@ywave.com@216.227.115.217) by 0 with SMTP; 25 Oct 2005 19:00:24 -0000 X-CLIENT-IP: 216.227.115.217 X-CLIENT-HOST: dsl28217.ywave.com Message-ID: <435E80C7.1050807@ywave.com> Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 12:00:23 -0700 From: Micah User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0.7 (X11/20050930) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Maude User References: <20051025175957.76667.qmail@web31609.mail.mud.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <20051025175957.76667.qmail@web31609.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Need to boot from CD and delete a file on the hard drive X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 19:00:31 -0000 Maude User wrote: > 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 > The option you are looking for is "fixit" from the install disk menu. This'll get you a command prompt. You will have to manually mount the partion that boot is on then you can delete, rename, edit, etc the file in question. HTH, Micah