boot error: boots into single user mode

[IH_2]

I have a 10.20 system (and I'm a part-time admin.. so. I know some ropes but not much beyond the first-level tinkering). Recently I have noticed that when we reboot the system, it boots into single user mode.

I do see some error flashing by the console right before it dumps into single-user mode, but I can't read it since the screen refreshes immediately after showing the error, and I haven't been able to find that error logged in the usual suspect places (syslog.log, OLDsyslog.log, rc.log)

when I type "init 3" it successfully boots into CDE without any incidences. inittab is set to init:3:initdefault.

the prime suspect is that something went bad when one of the hard drives died (/dev/vg02) and was removed. Unfortunately I wasn't there when this happened, and no one remembers what was done to the system when the drive was removed (dead drive housed a /home. the content of /home was moved to another partition in /dev/vg01 and /etc/fstab changed to point to the new partition). so it *may* be related to this, but I can't tell. Also, unfortunately that old dead drive is no longer available (got traded in for a new one)


my question is:
1. where is the error getting saved so I can figure out what the error is?
2. what's a good systematic way to figure out where in the booting process that this error occurs in the event that the error isn't being recorded?

thanks for any help...

[DCE]

Check the AUTO section of your boot disk

lifcp /dev/dsk/c1t2d0:AUTO -

It should be something like hpux or hpux -lq

If it is hpux -is, it has been set to boot to single user mode. You can use mkboot to set it hpux -lq.

Dave

[Arunvijai_4]

If you use Putty to connect to your console IP, you can enable logging and save all information. Its under Session -> Logging.

-Arun

[IH_2]

I did the lifcp command (lifcp /dev/dsk/c3t6d0:AUTO -), what I got returned just simply said "hpux"...

?

[Mel Burslan]

run the command :

grep ^init /etc/inittab

what do you see ?

if you see this:

init:1:initdefault:

it is the source of your problem. you are effectively telling your system not to go anywhere beyond init level 1, i.e., single user mode.

this line is generally set as:

init:3:initdefault:

but check your particular configuration as you may have some other app.s which start at init level 4. So adjust according to your needs.

(to see if you have anything starting at init level 4, see the directory contents as follows

/sbin/rc4.d

if there are any files, you may need init level 4)

Hope this helps

[Torsten. · Accepted solution]

You should see an error message onthe console. If your systems goes to single user, non of the init scripts are run (no syslog etc).
I saw this behavior once, because someone changed the shell for root in /etc/passwd from /sbin/sh to /usr/bin/ksh, which cannot work.
Perhaps you may find something in /etc/rc.log.

[IH_2]

Hi all,

as it turned out Torsten's suggestion was dead-on... someone had changed the root shell to /usr/bin/ksh and that was bombing the startup!!!

simple change, bad consequences..

wow. awesome.

thank you!!! you have fixed the problem that's been plaguing for I-have-no-idea-how-long!

[Torsten.]

BTW, I'm absolutely sure there was a message on your console telling you something like

"/usr/bin/ksh not found"

but anyway, good to know the problem is solved.

[IH_2]

I'm pretty sure that error had displayed.. briefly enough that I could't read it :-P (one reason why i was trying to find the log file somewhere...)

that must be the error I glimpsed before the screen refreshed and dumped me into single user mode.