From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Feb 15 02:39:05 2012 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 2A45B106564A for ; Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:39:05 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Received: from ethic.thought.org (ns1.thought.org [209.180.213.210]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C30548FC0A for ; Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:39:04 +0000 (UTC) Received: from [10.47.0.108] (tao.thought.org [10.47.0.108]) (authenticated bits=0) by ethic.thought.org (8.14.4/8.14.4) with ESMTP id q1F21ViC068435 for ; Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:01:31 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Message-ID: <4F3B11FB.80900@thought.org> Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:01:31 -0800 From: Gary Kline User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:10.0) Gecko/20120129 Thunderbird/10.0 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <20120215000838.GA26583@thought.org> <4F3B0D00.4050605@herveybayaustralia.com.au> In-Reply-To: <4F3B0D00.4050605@herveybayaustralia.com.au> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.9 required=3.9 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,BAYES_00, T_RP_MATCHES_RCVD autolearn=ham version=3.3.1 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.3.1 (2010-03-16) on ethic.thought.org Subject: Re: fixit disc for 7.3 #1? 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: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:39:05 -0000 On 02/14/2012 05:40 PM, Da Rock wrote: > On 02/15/12 10:08, Gary Kline wrote: >> guys, >> >> is there still a way of fixing something i did to my existing >> installation? it does nothing but continually cycle e and try to >> reboot into the old release i had from feb 2011. i thought editing >> out /etc/fstab would do it. but nope, it throws me into the lowest >> level manual config and then hangs. i cannot even install release 9.0 >> which is the only other path. either some stable distro of debian, >> or getting past release8 and going to 9. >> >> first, tho, i need to get rid of this [[messed up]] 7.3. >> >> let me share a story from when i was visiting a favorite cousin who >> put up about half of NASA's huge antennas. long retired, he lives >> out where not even god could find him. he wanted to see proof of my >> beloved freebsd. so, using a new set of discs that i bought, i >> started the installation. { FWIW, --this was in july, 2000. } I >> happened to mention that freebsd had trouble configuring the >> printers. or that that could get hairy. he stopped what he was >> doing and asked me to get back to his windows toys and games. i had >> a floppy w ith the mystery file "MBR" that removed that single file. >> >> my hunch is that since i never mess with anything but freebsd, i >> left it configure itself by default and that the same thing that >> stalled me for ten minutes back in 2000, might be what's stopping >> me from installing anything over my 7.3 in 2012. >> >> any wizards how how to fix this? > Are you sure you can't backup your important files and start again? > You might have a good deal of trouble jumping by 2 major releases at > the best of times. > > Also, 9.0 is significantly different in many ways to 7.x in dir > structure _and_ filesystems, to just mention a few. I new (clean) > install would be _highly_ recommended ;) > _______________________________________________ i have a working copy on 7.3 #4 on my Server. the server in a 2009 dell; the one that is busted and that i want to upgrade ---to either debian-6-iso or freebsd9-iso is my old 2003 dell. two different computers. the thing with the old dell is that nothing can boot off it. it keep cycling, trying to boot a 7.3 #1. i just remembered that the floppy disk was a DOS file with a secret command :A:\MBR that got rid of that boot track. it's looking more and more hopeless. .... wasn't/isn't there some kind of "fixit" CD? gary > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to > "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"