Can't log in after deleting old kernels

[Fernando]

Hi there.
I would appreciate some help with a situation I'm having here...
I'm running 14.10. I recently ran out of space in my boot partition and manually deleted the old kernels (all but the current one, 3.16.0-31) in order to update, something I already had done before however unorthodox. Anyway, this time I probably accidentally deleted something I shouldn't have and now I can't log in. It gets to the login screen but it freezes there, that is: no mouse, no keyboard, no nothing.
I have tried to access via live CD and I can't even see my hard disk drive in Dolphin. If I run Partition Editor, I see three partitions: dev/sda1, type fat32, boot; dev/sda2, type ext2; and dev/sda3, type unknown, lvm. I guess the fact that dev/sda3 type is unknown is not good but I don't know what to do now.
I would need to at least access my data, although I would prefer to fully restore the system.
Any indications where to begin?
Thanks in advance!

[Qqmike]

Just one detail: when you get to the log-in screen, are you able to enter your password and THEN it freezes? or is it the case that you can't even enter your PW?
(If you can enter your PW, but then it freezes and goes nowhere, I would suspect the .Xauthority file got corrupted--a bit of a wild guess based on my unlucky experiences after deleting old kernels. If this is the case, you can delete that file and continue to try to boot. Someone can post instructions or I will try to check back here later.)

[Fernando]

I can't write my password, not even move the mouse a bit The keyboard is totally dead, too. Can't even activate numlock or reboot from it.
I have a feeling that there's some problem with the main HDD partition; is there any kernel-related file in /boot whose elimination would cause problems with its mounting point or something similar?
Also is there any way to repair that partition or access to it through a live CD to at least try to gather the data?

[vinnywright]

was your / encrypted ?

VINNY

[Fernando]

I think it wasn't, no.

[vinnywright]

nothing should be keeping the live -cd from accessing the drive no matter what you deleted from /boot .

your saying that dolphins places panel dose not show the drives partitions wile running from the live-cd?

VINNY

[Fernando]

Yep, that's right. Dolphin shows nothing but the live CD. If it's nothing related to the kernels in /boot then I'm lost.

[vinnywright]

run the live-cd ,,,,and post the output of

sudo parted -l

so we can see what the partition manager was showing you and tell what was on each partition ,,,,,,,,like /sda1=windows /sda2=boot-partition /sda3=was /root and /home ,,,,,,,,or whatever .

VINNY

[Fernando]

I'll do that first thing in the morning; it's past 10 PM here.
Thanks!

[vinnywright]

cool .......someone elce will pick it up then or/and I will look when I get home from work .

VINNY

[Fernando]

Morning!

sudo parted -l

gives me:

Model: ATA ST500DM002-1BD14 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 538MB 537MB fat32 boot
2 538MB 749MB 256MB ext2
3 749MB 500GB 499GB lvm

Warning: Unable to open /dev/sr0 read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sr0 has been opened read-only.
Error: Can't have a partition ouside the disk!

Hope it helps...

[Fernando]

Hey there!
I have been trying to solve my problem with no luck. I'm quite lost right now.
I tried to rescue partition nº 3 using Parted, but it didn't seem to work. I'm worried about that partition having an "unknown" file type, acording to Partition Manager.
I don't know, I could really use some help...

[Fernando]

Ok, is there any way to recover a HDD partition? Partition manager says /dev/sda3 is 465.05 GB in size but --- is used (??)

[ronw]

I'm guessing "lvm" means that is a logical volume, as in Logical Volume Management, not a straight partition.

[Qqmike]

Short answer:
To recover partitions,
TestDisk
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

Long answer:
You gotta study it, at the TestDisk site.
I have done this a very long time ago, with success, partly by luck, partly by tips, partly by the rules.
It's a bit of a crap-shoot, but it can and does work, often.