superblock is corrupt -- help plz

[Maaz]

Hello Dear Gurus,

os=rhl 9
/dev/hda1 vfat
/dev/hda2 ntfs
/dev/hda3 ext3 /
/dev/hda4
/dev/hda5 swap

grub is installed on MBR. every thing was alright, when i shutdown the system yesterday.

today when I boot the system, and following messages receives.

Setting hostname woodmas [ok]
Initiallizing USB keyboard [ok]
Initiallizing USB mouse [ok]
.
.
checking root filesystem
ABEL=/:
The superblock could not be read or doesnt describe a correct ext2 filesystem. If the device is

valid and it really contains an ext2 filesystem(and not swap or ufs or something else), then the

superblock is corrupt, and u might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b 8139
fsck.ext3: No such file or directory while trying to open ABEL=/ [failed]
*** An error occured during the file system check
*** Dropping you to a shell; the system will reboot
*** when you leave the shell
Give root password for maintenance
(or type Control-D to continue): #here I gave the root password

(Repair filesystem) 1#

After getting the prompt, i issued the following command

(Repair filesystem) 1# e2fsck -f /dev/hda3
e2fsck 1.32 (09-NOV-2002)
Pass 1: Checking inodes, block & sizes
Pass 2: Checking directory structure
Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity
Pass 4: Checking referrence counts
Pass 5: Checking group summary information
/: 101382/320640 files (0.1% non-contiguous), 459015/640591 blocks

then i type
(Repair filesystem) 2#init 3
INIT: Switching to runlevel: 3
INIT: Sending process the TERM signal
HANGUP
Checking for new hardware
Updating /etc/fstab unable to open /etc/fstab for writing: Read-only filesystem [failed]
touch: creating '/var/lock/subsys/kudzu: Read-only file system
Starting system logger # at this point system remains hang for about 5 min
.
.
.
.
.
INIT: Id "3" respawning too fast: disable for 5 minutes
INIT: Id "1" respawning too fast: disable for 5 minutes
INIT: Id "2" respawning too fast: disable for 5 minutes
INIT: Id "5" respawning too fast: disable for 5 minutes
INIT: Id "6" respawning too fast: disable for 5 minutes
INIT: Id "4" respawning too fast: disable for 5 minutes
INIT: no more process left in this run level

And nothing happens any more, i.e the system remains hang.

Any1 any help :(

Best Regards
Maaz

[Steven E. Protter]

If fsck can't fix it you are in restore mode.

Try the real fsck command and then plan to put the sysem back together. Surely it has been backed up.

SEP

[Maaz]

Dear SEP, i dont know abt the REAL fsck. could u plz le me know how to run REAL fsck, plz

Many Thanks
Regards
Maaz

[John Poff]

Hi,

Did your root filesystem get converted from ext2 to ext3 somehow, and your /etc/fstab not get updated to reflect that change?

JP

[Ermin Borovac · Accepted solution]

The following line looks a bit suspicious (note ABEL instead of LABEL).

fsck.ext3: No such file or directory while trying to open ABEL=/ [failed]

You can try rebooting your system again and when it goes into recovery shell check /etc/fstab.

ABEL=/ / ext3 defaults 1 1

If you see the line as shown above do the following.

# mount -o rw,remount /
# vi /etc/fstab
Modify ABEL to LABEL and save the save
# exit

This should reboot the system and hopefully it will come clean.

[Maaz]

Dear John poff, and Ermin Borovac, many thanks for the reply/help

John I'll check it, but there is no chance that root filesystem is changed from ext3 to ext2.

Ermin, your advice sounds very nice, and I think, that the point u mentioned, is the reall situation.

the system is in my office, and I'll follow the advices, when i'll be in my office.

Many Thanks
Regards
Maaz

[Johannes Krackowizer_1]

hi maaz,

the message:

checking root filesystem
ABEL=/:

might be a missing character in your /etc/fstab. there are two ways to select the correct device for a mount point:

LABEL=/ ext3 defaults 1 1

or yust type the device instead of LABEL...

/dev/hda3 ext3 defaults 1 1

if you type:
ABEL=/ ext3 defaults 1 1
the mount command trys to mount the device ABEL=/ as root filesystem. but there is no such device so you have to correct the spelling in your /etc/fstab.

johannes

[Johannes Krackowizer_1]

ps: it's very simple to convert a ext3 to an ext2 also if it is the rootfs. you only need a recovery cd.

boot from the cd.
use tune2fs -O ^has_journal
and sometimes you also need:
dumpe2fs /dev/hdax to see witch Filesystem Features are installed
tune2fs -O ^dir_index

after that you have to change in /etc/fstab
ext3 to ext2 and you can run the filesystem without journaling. But this is NOT recommended!!!

and as i wrote in the post before the type of your filesytem is not the problem. /etc/fstab is set incorrect. correct ABEL=/ to LABEL=/ or /dev/hda3 and it should work fine.

johannes

[Maaz]

Many Thanks Ermin, u deserve 100++ points.
Yes Dear Ermin Borovac, as u mentioned, in /etc/fstab, there was written
ABEL=/ / ext3 defaults 1 1

instead of
LABEL=/ / ext3 defaults 1 1

Many Thanks SEP, and John.
Many Thanks Johannes Krackowizer .

Thanks Great Forum

Regards
Maaz