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mdiamond
n00b
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 7
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 Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 6:34 am Post subject: Can't enter Single User Mode from GRUB |
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Hey there. Just installed Gentoo 2004.3. Used genkernel because I'm a NOOB and because it's a VMware VM under ESX 2.1.2.
I can boot fine and have a happy system. But for whatever reason, I want to go into Single User Mode (S.U.M.), and I have GRUB as a bootloader. Here's my GRUB config:
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# Which listing to boot as default
default 0
# How many seconds to wait for boot selection
timeout 5
title=Gentoo Linux 2.4.26-r9
# Where is the kernel image?
root (hd0,0)
kernel /kernel-2.4.26-gentoo-r9 root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda3 doscsi
initrd /initrd-2.4.26-gentoo-r9
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When I want to enter S.U.M. , I hit 'e' at the GRUB menu, then I've tried adding the word 'single' in the following locations:
- On the kernel line, at the end of the line
- On the kernel line, right after '/kernel-2.4.26-gentoo-r9'
- On the initrd line, at the end of the line
In all three instances, I do not end up in S.U.M. - I get INIT 3 and end up at a login prompt.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance for your help... |
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chardros
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 18 Apr 2002
Posts: 136
Location: Andromeda
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| Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 6:53 am Post subject: |
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| Putting the word single on the kernel line should work. You can also try init=/bin/sh. Though, that may not work with the ramdisk image, etc. |
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mdiamond
n00b
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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I think it should work too. 
I changed the init=/linuxrc to init=/bin/sh like you suggested, and also had the word 'single' at the end of the line. It craps out with:
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/bin/sh: Can't open doscsi
Kernel panic: Attempted to kill init!
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So I think you're right about it not working with the ramdisk image. |
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mdiamond
n00b
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:02 am Post subject: |
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I was originally thinking that this might be a GRUB issue, but then I started thinking that it might be a ReiserFS issue. Yes, I'm using ReiserFS. No, I don't have any good reason to.
So I decided to take Grub out of the picture first (aka switch to LILO). I have done this, and at the LILO menu I type "gentoo single".
I still end up in INIT 3.
So this is not a GRUB issue. I think I am going to reinstall using ext3 instead of ReiserFS and try GRUB again. |
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mdiamond
n00b
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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Man alive. It wasn't a ReiserFS issue either. I reinstalled using ext3 and still have the same problem.
Any other ideas? Thanks so far BTW. |
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mdiamond
n00b
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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Compiling a custom kernel and changing the boot loader as described in the handbook for a custom kernel seemed to fix my issue.
Could there be a bug in the genkernel kernel (or a feature  that prevents Single User Mode from working? I mean, even after booting and logging in, typing "init 1" brought me right back into init 3!
Can anyone else confirm this behaviour on a genkernel install? |
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koti
n00b
Joined: 19 Dec 2004
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 8:31 am Post subject: |
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| Adding 'real_init=single' on the kernel line in case of genkernel kernel. |
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mdiamond
n00b
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Adding 'real_init=single' on the kernel line in case of genkernel kernel. |
This worked koti - thankyou so much. I was investigating the possibility that my issue was related to using an initrd - and your solution seems to support that. (ie: "real_init" seems like a similar parameter to "real_root", which is used for initrd images).
Curiosity: is that assessment correct? And how do you know of this "real_init" parameter - is it documented somewhere?
Thanks again. |
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koti
n00b
Joined: 19 Dec 2004
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 3:06 am Post subject: |
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This worked koti - thankyou so much. I was investigating the possibility that my issue was related to using an initrd - and your solution seems to support that. (ie: "real_init" seems like a similar parameter to "real_root", which is used for initrd images).
Curiosity: is that assessment correct? And how do you know of this "real_init" parameter - is it documented somewhere?
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These parameters are used by linuxrc script on the initrd image. The linuxrc script is specified in kernel parameter 'init=/linuxrc'.
See 'man genkernel' and /usr/share/genkernel/generic/linuxrc file.
Please forgive my poor English. |
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mdiamond
n00b
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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| koti wrote: | These parameters are used by linuxrc script on the initrd image. The linuxrc script is specified in kernel parameter 'init=/linuxrc'.
See 'man genkernel' and /usr/share/genkernel/generic/linuxrc file. |
Nice. I'm not sure why I didn't clue in with the 'init=/linuxrc' (ie: to actually look at that file). It definitely seems obvious now that you've pointed it out. I don't seem to have a manual page for genkernel, which could be why I couldn't find any documentation.
| koti wrote: | | Please forgive my poor English. |
You must have left your poor English in another post, because you certainly didn't use it here. Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it. Have a Happy Holidays, if you celebrate... |
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