main partition write only

[recycles]

Hi, I am working from Thailand and have found no english speaking user support group here in Chiangmai area, so I need your help. 

I was cleaning up some disk space with Kleansweep and removed some orphaned files I should not have.  Now, when I try to boot my system, there are errors and it does not boot to KDE.  On a normal boot without errors, my fstab sets the main partition to rw (read-write) but on errors, it sets the partition to ro (read-only).

rw, (errors=remount-ro)

Fortunately I archived all the removed files.  My Kubuntu system has a separate partition for /home which I can access okay and unarchive all the saved files.   I proceeded to unarchive all the files, but alas, I cannot write them back to the main partition to correct the problem.

Is there a way to boot my system even though it has errors so the main partition is read-write-able ?  Is there a way to disregard, replace, or edit  the fstab which is on the read-only main partition so my system does not go to read-only on errors? I hope I posed this question properly. I need help. Please write if you don't understand.

Please help - I use my old PCG-Z505RX laptop for nonprofit work and it is now dead and unusable. I am limited to working at internet cafe's until I can fix this problem.

Thanks and Happy New Year from Thailand.

[penguin.ch]

Re: main partition write only

If your machine were able to boot from CD, it should be possible for you to by-pass this factual blockade by means of a live system, as drafted in these notes.

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Postscript: reference updated

[recycles]

Re: main partition write only

Hi, and thank you for the reply.  In this case I am not carrying the external CD-ROM drive, nor do I have a bootable CD.  I left these items back in the USA due to the originally expected short nature of the trip, but now the trip has been extended.  Is there any other hope to restore/access this file system without a CD-ROM drive or bootable CD?  If not, then it seems I will need to begin seeking out some kind of english speaking Linux support group or business here in Chiangmai.  I suspect the difficult part will be in finding a Sony Vaio CD-ROM drive to borrow, as I know from experience that OEM part is the only unit that will boot this machine.  Thank you for your assisting me ...

[penguin.ch]

Re: main partition write only

Is it possible to boot your system into a non-graphical mode? In this case, you may try to log-in to the console, launch a "GUI-free" editor (e.g. nano) and change the file from there ...

HTH
Birdy

[recycles]

Re: main partition write only

Hi, yes, I have been able to boot the system and work directly at the prompt in the root. I have my /home directory on a separate partition, where I have the archived file stored, and I was able to mount the /home partition and unarchive the file. Of course, the main partition is read-only, so no-go.

I figured if I could edit the fstab file and take out the "on-errors" line that might work. I used nano but could not write the file. I tried other approaches, such as copying fstab to the /home directory, which is on the read-write-able partition, editing fstab, and then trying to copy it over to /etc/fstab, but of course, it does not write. I did not know if there was a way around this.

Then there are this preliminary prompt I can get before the boot-up process begins, which as a neophyte do not quite understand yet. I thought I could put a line of code in there, that might let the system ignore fstab and let me in, but I have no idea what kind of instructions to put there, if any.

I tried all kinds of things with the umount and mount command, but I could not umount the main partition because it was busy. I wondered if there was a remount command or switch, but found no signs of that.

[penguin.ch]

Re: main partition write only

O.k., when logged in to the console, you may try to force a remount (refer to man mount for further details):

[sudo] mount -n -o remount,rw /

If this attempt fails (also): can you get hold of an USB stick? Your machine seems to be fairly current and therefore should be able to boot from USB - and (e.g.) Damn Small Linux, a quite but working live system, is supposed to run from / on such a stick.

HTH
Birdy

Remark: the "pre-boot promt" you are mentioning, belongs to the installed boot loader - refer to this manual for further details.

[recycles]

Re: main partition write only

Okay, thanks. I will try the mount command line as suggested. Yes, I can get a USB stick, and then try to get DS Linux going, but from my recollection from working with this machine when I originally set it up, I could not get it to boot from the USB. Originally, I was trying to boot from an external USB drive, but the machine required that I use a the OEM PCMCIA CD ROM. I did not try to boot the machine from a stick ever, because I figured if I could not get the BIOS to boot from a USB CD ROM, then I could not boot from a stick either. This Sony Vaio PCG-Z505RX is about 1999 vintage, I believe, if anyone is familiar with it. I am off to try the mount command line you've given ... thanks.

[recycles]

Re: main partition write only


> mount -n -o remount,rw /

Thanks - this worked perfectly.

[penguin.ch]

Re: main partition write only

> mount -n -o remount,rw /
Thanks - this worked perfectly.

You are welcome and "thank you" for the challenge - I have learned a lot from helping you on (see my roundup).

Birdy aka littleDrHouse

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Postscript: reference updated