[frgeek-michiana] Re: Server update gone bad
- From: Tony Germano <tony_germano@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:45:06 -0500
Is the UUID used anywhere besides fstab and maybe the boot loader? It makes
sense to use it there when you have multiple drives because it guarantees that
your mounts will all work even if boot order changes for some reason.
Each file system is assigned a UUID upon creation. You can use the basic tools
for that file system to find out what the UUID is. It will never change, even
if you move the drive to a different server. It will also not change if you
clone the partition.
If you are able to boot from a cd, I think you can use tune2fs -l /dev/<hdxx>
to see the UUID for the file system on a given partition (assuming it is
ext2/3/4.)
This page also lists some other ways (I haven't tried them) to get the UUID
http://liquidat.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/short-tip-get-uuid-of-hard-disks/The
ls -l /dev/disk/by-uuid way looks pretty cool. I didn't know that directory was
there.
Tony
> Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:46:07 -0500
> From: tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> To: frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [frgeek-michiana] Re: Server update gone bad
>
> Sorry to reply so late. I've been very busy over the holiday and out of
> town for a few days.
>
> I ran 'apt-get update' using the default 'stable' sources, but that
> listed a lot of unverified packages which turned out to be Squeeze
> packages so I never started the upgrade. After some research I realized
> I needed to stay at Lenny by changing the sources from 'stable' to
> 'Lenny' as stable now means 'squeeze'. That seemed to work as the number
> of unverified packages were very few.
>
> I don't know UUID. I'll research it at the workshop tonight.
>
> afaik, there is no data backup. I'll try booting with a rescue disk and
> poke around. As a last resort, I will pull the drives and try to read
> them on another system. I don't know yet whether the drives are SCSI,
> SATA, PATA or some combination. I believe the drives were in some sort
> of RAID config.
>
> Tom --
>
> Richard Zimmerman wrote:
> > Reminds me since we are on the subject...
> >
> > Colo server IS LOCKED to "Lenny" and I have every intention of leaving
> > it there....
> >
> > If a new server admin takes over, his or her call then...lists
> >
> > BTW, also speaking from experience after I toasted my home server on a
> > blind 'dist-upgrade' option.... (from the Lenny to Squeeze upgrade)
> >
> > ***********************************
> > NEVER EVER USE IT AGAIN
> > ***********************************
> >
> > That BTDT thing I mentioned in the previous email also happened on my
> > home server but I got lucky and recovered it....
> >
> > Now days I **ONLY** use the 'safe-upgrade' option...
> >
> > Lessons learned the hard way about 8 months ago...
> >
> > Goose
> >
> > / Where is the old RedHat 5.2 when you want it? It was simple and 'just
> > worked'
> > // Debian Lenny is the same way. Functional and 'just works'
> > /// Why keep screwing with it...???
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Dec 24, 2011 at 7:14 PM, Richard Zimmerman <ke4rit@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >> If I'm reading it correctly. You pretty well screwed the server....
> >>
> >> The new Debian forces everything to that NOT SO wonderful UUID Crap
> >> for everything. If you then rolled back to Lenny, congrats, you own a
> >> toasted server....
> >>
> >> BTDT, you pretty screwed... That happened to me.... Happen to have a
> >> backup of the server?
> >>
> >> Goose
> >>
> >> / Happened on a server at work. FORTUNATELY, I had grab some dead
> >> hardware out of the back room and had used it so it wasn't a
> >> production server I toasted...
> >>
> >> // Left all work servers @ Lenny and have been researching finding a
> >> distro that DOES NOT use UUID. That crap is for the birds....
> >>
> >> /// Maybe force it UUID in Debian for the win!
> >>
> >> //// If I can't find a distro that doesn't use UUID, guess I'll be
> >> retiring as a server admin....
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Sat, Dec 24, 2011 at 12:41 PM, Tom Brown <tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Mike started a hard drive wipe too late to complete by closing time last
> >>> Thursday. I started a warehouse server update which also didn't complete
> >>> before we departed so Mike and I left the systems running with the
> >>> intention
> >>> I would stop by the warehouse today and turn off the computers.
> >>>
> >>> Mike's DBAN wipe completed so I turned off the PC. The server update
> >>> completed so I rebooted to test the update.
> >>>
> >>> When the server first tried to boot it died trying to load drivers for hdc
> >>> or the next item after that; I couldn't tell which. I turned the server
> >>> off,
> >>> booted and got the following errors.
> >>>
> >>> ----------
> >>>
> >>> Running /scripts/inti-bottom ... mount: mounting /dev on /root/dev failed:
> >>> No such file or directory
> >>> done
> >>> mount: mounting /sys on /root/sys failed: No such file or directory
> >>> mount: mounting /proc on /root/proc failed: No such file or directory
> >>> Target filesystem doesn't have /sbin/init.
> >>> No init found. Try passing init=bootarg.
> >>>
> >>> BusyBox v1.10.2 (Debian 1:1.10.2-2) built-in shell (ash).
> >>> Enter 'help' for a list of commands.
> >>>
> >>> /bin/sh can't access tty; job control turned off
> >>> (initramfs) __
> >>>
> >>> ----------
> >>>
> >>> A Google search didn't find anything in the first two pages of results
> >>> which
> >>> exactly applies to the problem and update back story.
> >>>
> >>> The source lists for apt-get were set to "stable" repositories. Since
> >>> Debian advanced to v6.x 'Squeeze', stable was resulting in v6 packages
> >>> which
> >>> wouldn't verify. So I changed 'stable' to 'Lenny' (Debian v5.x) in the
> >>> sources list, and the update/upgrade sequence went much better (until I
> >>> rebooted).
> >>>
> >>> I'm not sure if there was a kernel update or not.
> >>>
> >>> The server is running RAID and possibly LVM. I seldom use either so I'm
> >>> not
> >>> well versed on either. Also, Debian uses Grub (possibly several versions
> >>> of
> >>> Grub). Grub runs on my Ubuntu 10.04 LTS netbook install, but I never touch
> >>> it.
> >>>
> >>> Any ideas?
> >>>
> >>> Tom --
> >>> ** This list is PUBLICLY archived. **
> >>> PLEASE don't post personal or sensitive information unless you wish for it
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> >>> but
> >>> other items included in the body of the email will be shown.
> >>>
> >>> To visit the main website for Free Geek Michiana go to
> >>> http://www.freegeekmichiana.org
> >>>
> >>> To post to the list send email to frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >>> The archive is available at
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> >>>
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> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> --
> >> Richard "Goose" Zimmerman, ke4rit
> >> Mishawaka, IN
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> ** This list is PUBLICLY archived. **
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>
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>
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