systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

JohnSmithLinux · 2013-12-14 17:41:37

I am sorry if this is in the wrong forum section.

When I boot my Archlinux computer, I am taken to an "emergency mode" screen. It is clearly part of systemd, and I cannot start my regular graphical environment. I have been using Arch for a few months, and I have had minor systemd troubles but nothing as serious as this. I am currently in a Linux Mint Live CD so I can post this.

I researched the problem, and found that the systemd may have failed to mount critical drives. I looked at my /etc/fstab file, and it seems to be kind of wonky (my boot partition is after my root partition, UUIDs seem to be wrong). I do not know how to fix this emergency mode problem.

Please help; any help is appreciated.

karol · 2013-12-14 17:52:44

Can you tell us what does that emergency mode looks like or post a photo?
If you think that UUIDs are wrong, can't you just fix them?

Alber · 2013-12-14 18:00:16

I think the order in fstab is irrelevant. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Are another options working?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sy … _boot_into

Edit:
Is rescue mode working?
I'm thinking in the arch's boot options menu (maybe named fallback mode).

Last edited by Alber (2013-12-14 18:17:04)

karol · 2013-12-14 18:01:49

Alber wrote:

I think the order in fstab is irrelevant. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You're right.

JohnSmithLinux, can you switch to another tty?

Alber · 2013-12-14 18:39:27

This is from emergency.service (from emergency.target):

'Welcome to emergency mode! After logging in, type "journalctl -xb" to view\\n
system logs, "systemctl reboot" to reboot, "systemctl default" to try again\\n
to boot into default mode.'

Are you seeing that? If so,
please, tell us what ouput you get.

__________________________
Thanks Karol for checking

Last edited by Alber (2013-12-14 18:46:20)

JohnSmithLinux · 2013-12-14 18:44:38

Well, now I booted into an Arch live environment and generated a new fstab. It lloks perfect, and when my system boots, I get hard disk activity for a few seconds and then nothing. It just sort of hangs doing nothing. The output is "/dev/sda3 cleaned"...

Alber · 2013-12-14 19:29:35

Is that the output from journalctl? or is that you get after change fstab?
I don't know what means "cleaned":... fsck no errors? is it empty?...
Could you see what is in there (mounting from live linux distro) and if there is what system is waiting for.
Example, if mount point is /, you must see directories as /lib and anothers in that device.

JohnSmithLinux · 2013-12-14 19:43:53

The output is from fsck. There are no errors. I can change tty, but I don't get any prompts or ways for me to access a shell.

When I mount the disk in a live distro (I'm using Linux Mint right now), I get my usual system, with the standard folders (usr, lib, proc, etc, bin, boot, dev, and others). I don't see anything wrong with the system, but it won't boot. I even tried "fallback initramfs" from GRUB, but I get the same problem.

Alber · 2013-12-14 20:39:26

Not sure because you can change your tty with ctrl+alt+f1, f2, f3,..
This is a little weird but it happens to me: X-windows could be putting your graphic logging in another monitor. So you can't see nothing. But before X-windows, operating system is using the usual monitor. Could be that? Could you try loggin blindly? Try to use xrandr.
But using fallback mode without graphic, this must not happen.

If it is the monitor problem (I really don't know) you can use /etc/xorg.conf to solve it.

Last edited by Alber (2013-12-14 20:42:28)

JohnSmithLinux · 2013-12-14 21:42:20

Well, the other tty's just have a blank screen. I have only one monitor hooked up. When I try typing in the other tty's (the non-plymouth ones), I just get the text I typed.

Alber · 2013-12-15 09:50:29

Every time a find me more lost.

In your tty's, when press "enter", does it just jump the line?
It's the same in fallback mode?

(Clarification: my case, in its own, X uses a monitor that is not present)

Edit:
Compilation:
· Grub2 booter works, because no error, and so, a kernel in boot directory is launched.
· Kernel launch init process (systemd).
· Systemd must be working because fsck is working (if not, it could be that kernel doesn't find systemd because it is in another partition. Is boot in the same partition that / ?).
· It doesn't arrive to login.
Is it all correct?

Last edited by Alber (2013-12-15 10:11:38)

JohnSmithLinux · 2013-12-15 11:28:53

For your first question: Yes, pressing "enter" jumps the line. Same in fallback mode.

And for the second question, that list is all correct. I use GNOME with GDM, but I don't think this is a GDM or XOrg problem because I can't actually seem to login to a tty (I am not prompted for a username as usual).

Thanks for all the help. I have been forced to spend my life in a Linux Mint Live Boot, and I have really begun to appreciate having a dedicated home partition.

Alber · 2013-12-15 12:05:17

By now, I didn't do something that solve the problem. Sorry by my side.

Idea's goal: try to login in a tty using rescue.target. And from there launch systemd's multi-user.target to see what fails. I don't know if it'll used for something (I'm saying something like "press all keys to see what's up").

For boot in rescue.target. You can use a kernel parameter:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sy … ent_target
or another way (if kernel parameter points to default.target): change symbolic link from default.target to rescue.target

ln -sf /usr/lib/systemd/system/rescue.target /etc/systemd/system/default.target

If you get a login try to change current run level.

Edit:
but, maybe it is the same that grub's fallback mode.
emergency.target???

Last edited by Alber (2013-12-15 12:23:22)

JohnSmithLinux · 2013-12-16 01:19:25

Should I run that command in a chroot? Remember, I can't access a tty.

Alber · 2013-12-16 11:34:55

No need. From some live distro you can. Just be careful, first mount devices in /mnt/ (very like as if you thinking to do a chroot) an then use that files to do the link or change kernel parameters.
Something like:

mount /dev/sda? /mnt/
mount /dev/sda? /mnt/boot
................
ln -sf /mnt/usr/lib/systemd/system/emergency.target /mnt/etc/systemd/system/default.target

I don't know if anyone goes to yell at me. But once I reinstalled again my base system on Arch. As a new installation but let in what there was too.
But if you think do some rather like, first do a backup.
dd in this case could be ok.

Edit:
Better rsync, and far better dd and rsync (and another). It could be a bad sector o a hard disk failing.

Last edited by Alber (2013-12-16 12:34:05)

JohnSmithLinux · 2013-12-26 16:57:51

Well, I tried everything (including what you said), but nothing worked. So I sort of gave up. I installed Linux Mint, and got a new computer because I needed one anyway.

Alber · 2013-12-26 19:01:53

Sorry, I couldn't help to do it work.

I understand, I remember two years ago when I changed my HDD by a SDD and use the newest UEFI (almost experimental in my Intel motherboard), it took my almost two summer weeks to get it to work. And three months after it began to use systemd. But it made me to learn a lot of Linux.

I began Linux with Red-Hat 9. Afterwards Fedora while I've had several distros installed in USBs or SD memory. Debian, Mandrake, Suse...
When Fedora became to use Gnome3 I changed to Archlinux. Now I have Fedora 19 (Fedora 20 was launched a week ago) in a memory SD as system backup. I want to say: you can install an Archlinux in a USB or SD and use it as sand-box.

I try to give encouragement you.

Edit 2:
With Archlinux. You can get a Linux that is like you want.

Last edited by Alber (2013-12-26 19:41:44)

JohnSmithLinux · 2013-12-26 19:35:38

Thanks for all the help. I'm on my awesome new computer right now, running Arch! I'm blaming UEFI for the problems on my old computer...

Alber · 2013-12-26 19:44:37

I'm glad you can run Arch.

With Arch, you can get a Linux that is like you want.

JohnSmithLinux · 2013-12-26 20:25:02

Exactly. My best Linux experience ever!

Arch Linux

#1 2013-12-14 17:41:37

systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#2 2013-12-14 17:52:44

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#3 2013-12-14 18:00:16

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#4 2013-12-14 18:01:49

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#5 2013-12-14 18:39:27

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#6 2013-12-14 18:44:38

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#7 2013-12-14 19:29:35

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#8 2013-12-14 19:43:53

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#9 2013-12-14 20:39:26

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#10 2013-12-14 21:42:20

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#11 2013-12-15 09:50:29

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#12 2013-12-15 11:28:53

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#13 2013-12-15 12:05:17

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#14 2013-12-16 01:19:25

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#15 2013-12-16 11:34:55

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#16 2013-12-26 16:57:51

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#17 2013-12-26 19:01:53

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#18 2013-12-26 19:35:38

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#19 2013-12-26 19:44:37

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

#20 2013-12-26 20:25:02

Re: systemd Emergency Mode on Boot

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