From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Aug 7 14:37:10 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 624CC106566B for ; Fri, 7 Aug 2009 14:37:10 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from odhiambo@gmail.com) Received: from mail-bw0-f218.google.com (mail-bw0-f218.google.com [209.85.218.218]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CCAF08FC19 for ; Fri, 7 Aug 2009 14:37:09 +0000 (UTC) Received: by bwz18 with SMTP id 18so1455325bwz.7 for ; Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:37:08 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:in-reply-to:references :from:date:message-id:subject:to:cc:content-type; bh=m+ECEC2Y4LgBoNQDtiIRImMUGsUwc7Vm40KWzfy89kY=; b=bRzG6Cny996jFMMHs3kQyOdlFDez2vvqEatNkG68w7j2Dcy4agjfEdni6aibm4dA4+ AwIGYvOhYL24lJmJ1JNIAVy+YWU4ZALwm2e2agaV6PSKBMdvW8Menz1KbhsVBfbbVkl6 abTJtlcp8nrjgFkL9rLjINym6wCLLVNivxdLg= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:from:date:message-id:subject:to :cc:content-type; b=wa9Na/AHGkyyqzS3Lfd2qEFEM0KkUVonqxZEVmi1j0Ew3fxCADT0yaubyoDxfG5ZXf Hg9zCVcAoGseC54HbPb7977czFF71a/GYQ7gBWh8RgtviLfuSmfKyAbwyjX/Ru66ktL9 tLwAJXt+spUA707UJLbrpYj5zTRWT9pTnPsYU= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.204.58.208 with SMTP id i16mr3266062bkh.63.1249655828308; Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:37:08 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <4d4e09680908070708i286b98a7j6f03725a848ae83c@mail.gmail.com> References: <4d4e09680908061012q6ea8aeacm875c556eaea7a54f@mail.gmail.com> <4A7B1B41.7090507@unsane.co.uk> <4d4e09680908061733v21602321x252a7111a7648ad6@mail.gmail.com> <4A7C074C.9060303@unsane.co.uk> <4d4e09680908070708x635dcd80ha96a61e9c71b0b6b@mail.gmail.com> <4d4e09680908070708i286b98a7j6f03725a848ae83c@mail.gmail.com> From: =?UTF-8?B?T2RoaWFtYm8gIOODr+OCt+ODs+ODiOODsw==?= Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 17:36:48 +0300 Message-ID: <991123400908070736n626b7b26v8436f9f5e70c7526@mail.gmail.com> To: Identry Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5 Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Boot failure 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: Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:37:10 -0000 On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 5:08 PM, Identry wrote: > > I'd give it an fsck or two (more than one has been needed once or > > twice), > > I was afraid to run fsck before backing up everything I might possibly > need, so I spent most of last night mounting all the partitions and > backing up things. > > I was able to manually mount all the partitions and all the data seemed > fine. > > At this point, I'm ready to risk an fsck or pretty much anything. > > > also has anything changed with the server (updates etc etc) for > > example why was it rebooted? > > Because of a stupid mistake on my part. I was trying to add an address > to the NIC card, and rather than *add* the address to a long list of > addresses (used for https websites), I made that the only address. I > was only experimenting, so the file in /etc that I use to set up the > addresses (using ifconfig) was unchanged. I figured a quick reboot > would solve the problem, so I logged in via the console and did a > clean shutdown. When I turned the machine back on, it would not boot. > > I seem to recall a verbose boot mode in the > > boot menu. does that give any hints beyond the freeze you see when you > > try and boot? > > It prints one line, which I cannot recall, unfortunately. > > > Are you using the GENERIC kernel > > I don't know. This is the oldest freebsd machine that I run. I didn't > install the OS, myself. It's a 6.2 machine that had been running in > production mode without any updates for over a year when I took it > over. I am embarrassed to say I never had the nerve to do any updates > on it, either, because when I started on it, I didn't know enough > about FreeBSD to risk the 40 websites that were running on it. > > I've been meaning to update it for awhile, but it is locked down tight > with PF and has had zero problems up until now. Famous last words... > > > if not have you tried it? > > No. I need to figure out how to do that, and I didn't have enough > brain power last night after doing all those backups. Boot to single user mode and just run: fsck -y You don't need any special options the first time. fsck should tell you if there are further problems. > > After sleeping on it, I am wondering if I can kill two birds with one > stone... by using 7.2 install CDs to upgrade the machine? I believe > there is an 'upgrade' option on the install menu (I'm burning some 7.2 > CDs right now to double check.) > > Or would it be safer to try to bring up the machine on it's own with a > 6.2 generic kernel, first? Please don't even think of doing that! You might go mad with the several issues you may end up facing. And upgrading a production system from an install CD is something that I will never do. I always use csup/cvsup, but perhaps you can also use freebsd-update. I advise you get to fix the problem at hand before thinking of updating. -- Best regards, Odhiambo WASHINGTON, Nairobi,KE +254733744121/+254722743223 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "If you have nothing good to say about someone, just shut up!." -- Lucky Dube