[CLUG] Re: adams unbootable machine.

[Adam Lock]

webmaster at micksharpe.f2s.com wrote:

>>I would tell you what settings you need if weren't for the fact that 
>>MandrakeUpdate just made my machine unbootable after updating the
>>kernel.
>>
> 
> If you aint got a bbc (greatest invention ever!!)  then i recomend going to a 
> one of the linux sites and downloading a minidistro like toms root boot disk.  
> it fits on one single floppy and has all the tools you need to go in there and 
> play with your system to get it back up and running.  mandrake usually kicks 
> the old kernel out to the root fs with the extension .old, afaik.  if not you 
> can try and reboot your system by messing with /etc/lilo.conf and lilo.  (if it 
> still has these instead of grub)   It happened to me and this is how i remember 
> how to get out of this hole. oh and before touching the kernel, dd it onto a 
> floppy.
> 
> Cant remember where to download the iso images though for the bbc.  
> 
> Mick sharpe

I fixed my problem eventually. I made the unfortunate mistake of letting 
MandrakeUpdate upgrade my kernel for me, only to discover that it 
doesn't work properly through MandrakeUpdate and you shouldn't upgrade 
it that way. The kernel got updated fine, but the script didn't run lilo 
so it wouldn't boot afterwards.

Eventually after much head scratching I discovered that it was 
reasonably straightforward to fix:

1. Boot from the Mandrake install CD - but my autoboot CDROM was also
    playing up so I ended up creating a boot floppy.
2. Choose expert mode and type "rescue"
3. Mount the harddrive boot partition somewhere, e.g. /mnt/hd
4. chroot /mnt/hd
5. lilo

It worked after that. Funnily enough, all this could have been avoided 
if Mandrake had flagged the kernel as something MandrakeUpdate would 
download but not update. I guess it's my own dumb fault for trusting it 
to upgrade my kernel properly of all things.

Adam