Won't Boot

rp181 · 2010-04-07 12:32:48

I was cleaning up my arch install using a list of installed programs that excluded all of the base and base-devel packages. I removed a bunch of programs, and did a system upgrade, and now, my arch partition won't boot up.

When i start it, i get this (manually typed, may be errors):
/dev/sda8 is my root partition

Waiting 10 seconds for device /dev/sda8
kjournald starting. Commit interval 5 seconds
EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with writeback data mode.
ERROR: Root device mounted succesfully, but /sbin/init does not exist.
Bailing out, you are on you own. Good luck.

/bin/sh: can't access tty: job control turned off.
[ramfs /]$

Probably unrelated, but this is also the first time i've used clyde instead of pacman.

pacman log:

[2010-04-06 06:10] starting full system upgrade
[2010-04-06 20:28] removed powerpill (17.1-1)
[2010-04-06 20:29] installed perl-error (0.17016-1)
[2010-04-06 20:29] installed git (1.7.0.3-1)
[2010-04-06 20:30] installed lua-lzlib (0.4_work2-4)
[2010-04-06 20:30] installed yajl (1.0.9-3)
[2010-04-06 20:30] installed lua-yajl-git (20100308-1)
[2010-04-06 20:30] installed luasocket (2.0.2-2)
[2010-04-06 20:30] installed luafilesystem (1.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 20:31] installed clyde-git (20100406-1)
[2010-04-06 20:32] synchronizing package lists
[2010-04-06 20:34] upgraded clyde-git (20100406-1 -> 20100406-1)
[2010-04-06 20:34] synchronizing package lists
[2010-04-06 20:34] starting full system upgrade
[2010-04-06 20:35] removed splashy-themes (0.4-1)
[2010-04-06 20:35] removed splashy (0.3.13-3)
[2010-04-06 20:35] removed initscripts-splashy (2009.07-3)
[2010-04-06 20:35] removed sysvinit-mod (2.86-2)
[2010-04-06 20:35] removed directfb (1.4.3-1)
[2010-04-06 20:36] synchronizing package lists
[2010-04-06 20:36] synchronizing package lists
[2010-04-06 20:37] removed archlinux-wallpaper (1.3-1)
[2010-04-06 20:38] removed kdepim-kmail (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed perl-xyne-arch (2010.03.17.1-1)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed perl-xyne-common (2010.02.11.1-1)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed perl-libwww (5.834-2)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed perl-uri (1.54-1)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed perl-html-parser (3.64-1)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed perl-html-tagset (3.20-1)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed libofa (0.9.3-2)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed fftw (3.2.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed libggz (0.0.14.1-1)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed docbook-xml (4.5-4)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed aria2 (1.9.0-1)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed c-ares (1.7.0-2)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed apr-util (1.3.9-4)
[2010-04-06 21:13] removed apr (1.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:14] starting full system upgrade
[2010-04-06 21:22] removed kdepim-kontact (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:22] removed kdepim-knotes (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:22] removed kdepim-knode (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:22] removed kdepim-kleopatra (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdepim-kjots (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdepim-kalarm (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdepim-kaddressbook (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdenetwork-kopete (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdegraphics-kolourpaint (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdegraphics-kruler (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdegraphics-kgamma (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdegraphics-kcolorchooser (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdegraphics-kamera (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdeedu-step (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdeedu-rocs (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdeedu-parley (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:23] removed kdeedu-marble (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kwordquiz (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kturtle (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-ktouch (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kstars (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kmplot (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-klettres (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kiten (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kig (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-khangman (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kgeography (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kbruch (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kanagram (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kalzium (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-kalgebra (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-cantor (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-blinken (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeartwork-weatherwallpapers (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed gtkpacman (2.3.1-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed gecko-mediaplayer (0.9.9.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed firefox (3.6.3-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-data (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed kdeedu-libkdeedu (4.4.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed indilib (0.6-2)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed openbabel (2.2.3-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed vte (0.24.0-2)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed gnome-mplayer (0.9.9.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed xulrunner (1.9.2.3-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed libnova (0.13.0-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed libgpod (0.7.2-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed libnotify (0.4.5-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed mime-types (1.0-2)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed mutagen (1.19-1)
[2010-04-06 21:25] removed sg3_utils (1.28-1)
[2010-04-06 21:31] installed filelight (1.9rc3-1)

Grub:

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux
root   (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda8 ro
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

I also can't use normal commands in the shell i am given after failed boot, as something like sudo won't even work.

I don't know if i need to give any information, but hope someone can help. I am triple booted ubuntu-archlinux-windows, so i can access the arch root directory.

TaylanUB · 2010-04-07 13:26:52

rp181 wrote:

I was cleaning up my arch install using a list of installed programs that excluded all of the base and base-devel packages.

Let me get this clear... You removed things that were in the 'base' group?

pyther · 2010-04-07 14:43:20

Looks like /sbin/init is missing

pyther@tux: sudo pacman -Qo /sbin/init
/sbin/init is owned by sysvinit 2.86-5
pyther@tux: pacman -Sl core | grep sysvinit
core sysvinit 2.86-5

TaylanUB · 2010-04-07 15:57:11

pyther, i'm afraid /sbin/init isn't the only thing missing.

I also can't use normal commands in the shell i am given after failed boot, as something like sudo won't even work.

rp181, if you really removed things that were in the base group, you probably broke your system pretty hard.
The quickest solution would be a total reinstallation, after backing up everything important. If that's not an option, you might be able to recover the lost packages by using pacman from within another working system, with the --root option. (Also see 'pacman-static'.)

rp181 · 2010-04-07 16:25:03

Sorry if i didn't make myself clear.

I used a command for pacman -Q i found that outputs all the installed programs, but does not display the base packages installed. I put this list into a text file. If i were to remove everything in the text file, arch would have returned to as it was right after installation. I went through this list and removed some packages, mostly kde apps (see log).

After some consultation on the IRC, i have decided to simply reinstall. Also my chance to use kdemod. All my personal stuff is on a seperate home partition, plus multiple backups on an external hardrive, so not too big of a deal (bandwith is a problem).

I would have done the repair through a live cd had i known about the --root option =p

demian · 2010-04-07 16:38:05

In that situation i usually boot from my archlinux live cd/usb drive and try to revert my last actions. Maybe you can chroot and reinstall your base package via pacman -S base or maybe rebuild kernel image or whatever you did, just revert it.
Also, and please correct me if i'm wrong, i believe it's normal to not be able to execute any commands in [ramfs /]$ since it's just ram, mounted. There'd have to be files copied or mounted (i.e. "/") into RAM to access commands.

Regards,
demian

Last edited by demian (2010-04-07 16:39:31)

TaylanUB · 2010-04-07 17:29:18

Staying in initramfs runs busybox, from what i know, which supplies you with many basic commands.
Something like that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busybox
See commands. It even has tar, gzip, vi, awk and sed.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-04-07 12:32:48

Won't Boot

#2 2010-04-07 13:26:52

Re: Won't Boot

#3 2010-04-07 14:43:20

Re: Won't Boot

#4 2010-04-07 15:57:11

Re: Won't Boot

#5 2010-04-07 16:25:03

Re: Won't Boot

#6 2010-04-07 16:38:05

Re: Won't Boot

#7 2010-04-07 17:29:18

Re: Won't Boot

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