recovering a broken gentoo system (missing files)

[azo]

Hello,

I'm using gentoo for a few years now. Yesterday I've tried to install Ubuntu on some other partition and accidentally specifed the partition on which gentoo is installed. I haven't marked the partition to be formated and I've discovered the mistake fairly quickly. I've ended up with a partial gentoo system - not everything is missing (the only two things I don't see are /etc and /boot). It also seems that all the applications remained installed.

I'm now wondering, what's the best way to recover the system? I'd like to keep all the old files as I have some applications that cannot be installed.

What would be the fastest way to get a working system while keeping the present files?

[MaximeG]

Hi,

For the /boot tree, it will be fairly straightforward.

But for the /etc one, it will be harder. It was containing almost all your configuration files.
Perhaps with re-unzipping a stage tarball, you may recover your start/default config files.

What do you mean by applications cannot be installed by the way ?

Regards,
Maxime
_________________
Future is wide open.

[g.e.n.t.u.x.]

what u cant see u cant keep, cant u? maybe u use the ubuntu partition to extract a stageball and copy the /etc from this to your targat partion. in this moment u have the configuration files from the main system. after that is revdep-rebuild and emerge -uNe World your best friend. i cant imagine that portage/emerge has an way to only get the etc files seperatly.

take a backup after that and dont forget the make.conf. me know why. i have sitting two times for the same system use collection.

[dastergon]

you can recover your partition with the 'testdisk' program. But some files may be corrupted. check here : http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

[g.e.n.t.u.x.]

[azo]

I don't need to receover the old files I just want to be able to install the removed files and get a working system.

I booted a liveCD and untared all the missing files into the broken system. Then I wanted to proceed as written in the installation handbook, but emerge doesn't want to work:

If I want to emerge something, I get an error

[g.e.n.t.u.x.]

what for an system u got.

please post make.conf and look for /usr/portage/profile(s)/ if it exist and cotains something. are you sure that no libraries has leave the root tree?

please install a minimal system from livecd at another partition and copie all to the root partition. then emerge is ok and a emerge -uNe world functionize and you are with the same system. as alternativ way.