Can't boot beyond Single User mode

[Kevin Rafferty]

Hi

Came in this morning to a 10.20 system with the following errors on the console.

INIT: /etc/inittab: Cannot stat: I/O error

INIT: WARNING: /etc/inittab is CORRUPT
INIT: Sytem being brought up SINGLE-USER !!!

INIT: SINGLE USER MODE

INIT: WARNING: No passwd entry for root
FIX root ENTRY IN /etc/passwd AND REBOOT !!!

I can't access /etc to check inittab or /var to check to logs.

Is there anyway I can get past this or fix the inittab file.

Thanks
Kev

[MarkSyder]

Have you tried running:

mount /etc

Mark Syder (like the drink but spelt different)

[Kevin Rafferty]

yes, but I get...

#mount /etc
mount: /etc/mnttab: I/O Error
Unable to update /etc/mnttab

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Hi Kevin,

For me looks like there is a problem with your hard disk. Can you not go into /etc directory?. Try the command '/sbin/mount' and see what logical volumes appear in the output. Do you see lvol3 or /dev/root in there?. If it is /dev/root, then try 'fsck'ing the root logical volume.

-Sri

[Kevin Rafferty]

HI

I tried /sbin/mount but I get the same error as before. It just seems to be a problem accessing /etc

vgdisplay /dev/vg00 returns
vgdisplay: /etc/lvmconf//lvm_lock :I/O error

[bhavin asokan]

hi,

first try

fsck -F vxfs -o full /dev/vg00/lvol3
fsck -F vxfs -o full /dev/vg00/lvol4
fsck -F vxfs -o full /dev/vg00/lvol5
...
...
...

(mark, i don't think /etc will be a mount point)
kevin can you try ls -la command at the root prompt -find etc folder is existing there.if yes go to it by the cd command and see inittab,lvmconf,hosts,.... files are present.if not you should have to restore it from backup.

regds,

[Bharat Katkar]

Hi Kev,
Could u check what all things are mounted:
# mount

Also see if you have unknowingly mounted any other filesystem on /etc.

Just a thought!!
Regards,

[Sunil Sharma_1]

Kevin,

It seems your root hard disk is corrupted.

I will suggest you to shutdown system and start up in single user mode from ISL prompt.

Then check passwd and inittab file. Error points out that system is not able to access password file.

If you are able to go into etc directory and able to see file there but no passwd file then copy from backup or create one manually with root entry.

Sunil

[MarkSyder]

(mark, i don't think /etc will be a mount point)

It was Monday morning and I was tired!

Yes, you're quite right - it won't be.

Mark