HP-UX Single User mode

[Scott Sears_1]

Hello all,

There is a question in here, I promise.


Back in October, I found an HP 9000 K class server HP-UX 10.20 in the basement of our hospital. All of the pieces were there, so I decided to try and bring it back to life. Unix was/is still very new to me, but once I got it plugged in I found that no-one around had the passwords I needed. My first question to the experts here was how in the world was I going to get into this box? Well, the replies came flying to me, and finally I was able to boot the machine into single user mode where I was able to set a new password. Now, I am working with the X-Term (little pizza box) and I have the same problem with it. I can get it booted to an ISL> prompt, but it looks like I am getting a screen saver before I actually the the # prompt. How can I get past this part? I am trying to get this going so I can use it for HP OpenView. Below are some of the things that I have tried, based on the respones I got for the server.

Boot_Admin>BO pri isl
ISL>HPUX -is <==When doing this, it just takes me to another ISL> prompt, and does not ask if I would like to interact with IPL

I have tried so many combinations of this, I do not know what else to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Scott

[Scott Sears_1]

It looks like a screen saver is coming up before I get to a # prompt.

Thanks
Scott

[Rita C Workman]

Well, my first 'little' thought is...are you keying this in upper case????
All the message you typed are right except they should all be keyed in lower case !! HPUX is very specific and upper/lower counts.

If doing this doesn't work...next time around key: bo pri isl than key hpux /stand/vmunix and see if it boots up from the kernel...

Just a thought

[Bill Hassell]

The pizza box is probably not an Xterminal but a 700-series workstation. When these boot up (and a lot depends on which one of the 100-200 different models that were made), the graphic login window (probably a 712 or 715 model?) will say somehting about pressing ESC to interrupt the boot process.

Now a lot also depends on how old the operating system is. The initial loader originally required a long string after the hpux command, something like:

hpux -is disk(10/12.6.0;0)/hp-ux

for versions earlier than 10. Notice /hp-ux rather than /stand/vmunix which is version 10 and higher. I believe that most 700 series workstations could get by without the word "disk" and the hardware path...just (;0) is needed followed by the pathname. And as mentioned, make everything lowercase. For sure, the kernel pathname is case sensitive.

[Ajitkumar Rane]

Are you trying HPUX -is at the ISL> prompt as typed in your Q? It should be "hpux -is".

Good luck

[Sergei Kazakov]

If you have "HP-UX Support Media" you could try to boot from it with using of "b isl". Then after ISL prompts you type "700" - it wil boot up with SRECOVERY routines. You would be able to attach root volume as "/ROOT" and to do some changes you want.

Sincerely,
Sergei Kazakov.

[Scott Sears_2]

Thanks to everyone. With the advice that was given I was able to get into my system, and reset the root password. Unfortunately, I am not able to assign points because I misplaced my user id and had to re-register. That makes me not the author of this message anymore. Again I am truly sorry, that I am not able give points for you.

Keep up the great work on this forum, as it has been a real big help for newbies like me, and many others.

Scott