unable to boot Linux partition

[Rick Garland]

Hi all:

Got a RH7.0 installed with a dual boot partition with W2K. All had been working well until recently when I tried to configure Linux for sound using sndconfig.

The sound config for Linux is incorrect but when I try to boot it hangs at trying to configure the sound.

Unable to boot single user since the lilo is configured to present the choices for Linux and WIN in graphics, once the Linux is selected the system starts booting, there is no boot prompt.

Have tried to boot with linux rescue but unable to navigate around so I can shutoff the startup for sound.

Questions - how can I (if I can) have the system bypass the init process for booting the sound?
Is there a way to, example, press a key sequence to have the boot process skip a particular rc script?

I have tried to invoke the Interactive mode by pressing the "I" but the system is not accepting and continues to boot until the system hangs at sound config.

Many thanks

[I_M]

Hi

You may boot linux bypass the init.

boot: linux init=/bin/bash root=/dev/hda5 rw

"linux" is your kernel label name.
"root=" is your "/" partition.
"rw" means mount your "/" as read&write mode.
Without this, your system mount "/" as ro (read only).

After you get "#" prompt, you can mount rest of the partitions you want to use.

Good luck

[Rick Garland]

But I do not get the "boot:" prompt to input the command syntax.

The boot process starts at the graphics prompt, giving me a selection to boot linux or W2K, once selected the boot process takes off from there with no interaction.

[Stuart Browne]

Is your boot-loader 'Lilo' or is it 'Grub' ?

If it's Lilo, that graphical screen says "Press Ctrl-X to get to a boot prompt".

The Grub startup says something similar (can't remember what it is off the top of my head).

If it's neither of these, what are you using as your boot loader?

[I_M]

Hi

Thanks for the points :)

I think you have another option.
It is boot from bootable CD-ROM.

Create bootable CD-R such as
http://lbt.linuxcare.com/

or use RedHat install CD-ROM as "rescue" purpose, you may mount your filesystem without booting from your Harddisk, then you can edit the files.

Good luck

[Craig Kelley]

If you're using graphical LILO then you should see (at the bottom) a key sequence to press in order to enter text mode (IIRC, it's ctrl-T or ctrl-X). If you're using graphical GRUB then you can press the 'e' key to edit the kernel parameters -- at which point you can put 'single' or '1' at the end to bootup without any services.

[Shane Hjorth]

Hey Rick,

>I have tried to invoke the Interactive mode >by pressing the "I" but the system is not >accepting and continues to boot until the >system hangs at sound config.

I have hit the same problem several times as well, a system locking up during the initialisation of an incorrectly configured device or application. The Interactive mode DOES work, its just a pain to try and get into.... all I can suggest is to persist with the ... keep pounding the keyboard shortly before the Interactive Mode prompt comes up (it usually takes me a few attempts for it to work, the faster the PC the harder it seems)... eventually it will go through.

Cheers,

Shane.