Arch Linux

_Gandalf_

Member

Registered: 2006-01-12

Posts: 735

[HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

Hello

This guide is dedicated for those who having troubles booting, maybe they removed the kernel by fault or replaced kernel/initrd images accidently

Requirement: 1 arch CD, minimal or full cd, you just need to boot!!

Now let's consider your root parition is at /dev/hda6 , replace it with whatever is your kernel!!

Now go ahead put CD in dive and boot with it, once it has booted type

km

[b]If|/b] your keyboard isn't english to change the layout

then mount ur root partition under /mnt/arch

mkdir /mnt/arch
mount /dev/hda6 /mnt/arch
mount --bind /dev /mnt/arch/dev 

check if you have already the kernel in cache

ls /mnt/arch/var/cache/pacman/pkg | grep "kernel"

if it returned kernel26-2.6.15-2.pkg.tar.gz then u have it, if not u need to copy it

cp /mnt/cdrom/arch/pkg/kernel26-2.6.15-2.pkg.tar.gz /mnt/arch/var/cache/pacman/pkg/

You're ready to install it now, so chroot into it

chroot /mnt/arch /bin/bash
pacman -A /var/cache/pacman/pkg/kernel26-2.6.15-2.pkg.tar.gz

That's it, hope that helps whom had problems with 2.6.15-archck2-2

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Beetlenut

Member

From: Taipei Taiwan

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 126

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

Can this be done with Knoppix. I checked and I do have the old kernel in cache

_Gandalf_

Member

Registered: 2006-01-12

Posts: 735

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

If u have the kernel in cache then it can be done from any *nix system that can mount ext3 (or whatever is ur HDD type) so yes it will work with Knoppix

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Beetlenut

Member

From: Taipei Taiwan

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 126

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

But how can I run pacman from Knoppix?

_Gandalf_

Member

Registered: 2006-01-12

Posts: 735

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

When u chroot /mnt/arch /bin/bash u will be in Arch system and not in the system u are running (Knoppix)

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Beetlenut

Member

From: Taipei Taiwan

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 126

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

Everything is fine but I don't have grub in boot. How can I reinstall grub without an internet connection.

_Gandalf_

Member

Registered: 2006-01-12

Posts: 735

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

-> Rescue a system with a broken boot loader

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phrakture

Arch Overlord

From: behind you

Registered: 2003-10-29

Posts: 7,879

Website

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

When u chroot /mnt/arch /bin/bash u will be in Arch system and not in the system u are running (Knoppix)

Just a clarification, you will be using the arch binaries but not the arch kernel at this point - you will still be using the Knoppix kernel after a chroot, and therefore module loading will probably fail.

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Beetlenut

Member

From: Taipei Taiwan

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 126

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

could you expand on that. What are the limits to this method? Just trying to learn more.

Beetlenut

Member

From: Taipei Taiwan

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 126

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

Gandalf. There is no text at that link.

cmp

Member

Registered: 2005-01-03

Posts: 350

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

it could be a debian problem, but this method did not work fully for me:
as I grew sick of debian, I reinstalled arch using archbootstrap, but when I installed the kernel the way you posted above, the install script always printed:

ERROR: All of your loopback devices are in use!

The soultion is quite simple, run this before chrooting:

mount --bind /dev /mnt/arch/dev

_Gandalf_

Member

Registered: 2006-01-12

Posts: 735

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

Gandalf. There is no text at that link.

oops sorry about that, link fixed!

@cmp, hmmm u get that error using which command?

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cmp

Member

Registered: 2005-01-03

Posts: 350

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

I did this:

mkfs.ext3 /dev/hdb2
mount /dev/hdb2 /mnt/arch
/tmp/archbootstrap /mnt/arch
chroot /mnt/arch /bin/bash
vim /etc/rc.conf # set networking to dhcp
/etc/rc.d/network start
pacman -Syu
pacman -S kernel26

and now there was the error ("ERROR: All of your loopback devices are in use! "). I guessed you need loopback devices in /dev. So I continued:

exit 
mount --bind /dev /mnt/arch/dev
chroot /mnt/arch /bin/bash
pacman -S kernel26

and now it worked.

_Gandalf_

Member

Registered: 2006-01-12

Posts: 735

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

Oh that's why, u defined lo network and tried to start it, in this case u surely need that, this guide was only destinied if u have a system and do installing a file locally without any internet connection

so yeah to have internet (not only lo, but u need also eth0..) so u need to mount /dev too!!

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cmp

Member

Registered: 2005-01-03

Posts: 350

Re: [HOWTO] Repair Broken system, system without a kernel

no the networking works actually without mounting dev, it's just the kernel isntallation part, even if the package is cached and no internet connection is established.