Vmware RHES4U4 server could not startup - /etc/fstab bad format and read-only

[Gary L]

Hi

I met a big problem, need you help.
This morning, one of our web cache down. It is a Vmware (ESX3.0) server. I try to reboot it, But it stoped on fsck, details are as follows:
1. system auto fsck failed, error message:
...
WARNIING: Bad format on line 46 of /etc/fstab
WARNIING: Bad format on line 47 of /etc/fstab
....

2. System reboot stop, let me RUN fsck MANUALLY, let me input root password for maintenace. I input the root passwd and done the fsck, but it doen't work.

3. I try to fix /etc/fstab in (Repair filesystem) 2 # prompt, after "vi" modified, I could not save it via "wq", the error message: E505: "etc/fstab" is read-only (add ! to override) and after I did "wq!" system error message bacame "/etc/fstab E212: Can't open file for writing. /etc/fstab is -rw-r--r-- 1 root root ... I am root but why I have no write priviledge on /etc/fstab in the case.

4. I insert installation CD1 wanna reboot system and goin to the "Rescue mode", But it doesn't work, system didn't reboot from CD, I have tried some many times.

What's going on? /etc/fstab bad format, and read-only. Could not boot from CD?

Any answers will be very apprceciate.

-Gary

[Gary L]

BTW,

(Repair filesystem) 8# chmod a+w /etc/fstab
chmod: changing permissions of 'etc/fstab': Read-only file system

I think, maybe below line of /etc/fstab format bad
/dev/vg00/lvol05 /backups ext3 defaults
1 2
the content of "1 2" goes to the next line, It should be in the same line with /backups, right? But, I could not modify it as the /etc/fstab read-only issue.

[Ivan Ferreira · Accepted solution]

You need to remount the / file system in rw mode:

mount -o rw,remount /

To be able to modify the files.

>>> system didn't reboot from CD

Vmware should de configured to boot from the CD-ROM media.

[Gary L]

Thanks Ivan.

So far I could boot from CD.

I will try to fix the problem according as your suggestion above: remount the / file system let it in read-write mode.

Thanks a lot

-Gary