Cannot boot from rescue usb

[ewr]

Hi,

Somehow I've wrecked some settings in the B3 so that Samba doesn't start, and I can't login via ssh either (web interface works though..).
So I made a rescue disk using GParted (msdos partition table, primary partition and boot flag set) and copied the 2.2.1 image onto it and changing the DO_INSTALL flag to 0.

But it will not boot from it: After the light turns green I can see a few bursts of activity on the usb and then nothing else happens: It stays with the green light on.

Viewing the usb from my computer I can see that B3 has written a file named install-2010-12-16_000448.txt into the install directory. The contents are:

Code: Select all

Check if we have an old lvm disk
  --- Logical volume ---
  LV Name                /dev/bubba/storage
  VG Name                bubba
  LV UUID                46hCIt-mpc1-p06f-dgZr-QA3t-BkiS-txlxC0
  LV Write Access        read/write
  LV Status              NOT available
  LV Size                920.51 GB
  Current LE             235651
  Segments               1
  Allocation             inherit
  Read ahead sectors     auto
   
Check if we an old raid disk
Reading external config
Not doing install by your command

So something is happening but why does it not boot?
My usb disk looks like this:

Code: Select all

install/
         bubba.cfg
         install.itb
         version
         payload/
                     bubbaroot-101028-1556.tar.gz 

Is this how it is supposed to look? And has anyone tried the 2.2.1 image with success?

[Ubi]

why not just download the rescue image instead of making a rescue disk from an installation image? Or I do not understand your post.

[ewr]

Ubi: From the support page it's only possible to download a zip-file containing the files that should be on a rescue usb. You cannot download an iso-image. Or maybe I don't understand your point: How can I reinstall or boot from an rescue image without an usb?

[Ubi]

I'm not getting this. In your first post you said you downloaded the installation image and changed the install flag. Now you say you downloaded the rescue image. Which one is it?

[ewr]

I downloaded the installation image from this link: http://update.excito.net/install/latest/b3/

As far as I understand (correct me if I am wrong) this is the only available image. You then change the flag in the bubba.cfg file in order to make a rescue usb instead of a re-installation usb (I'm referring to the User Manual chapter: Installing & reinstalling software).

[Ubi]

crap, you're right, I thought it works like the B1 (which has a separate rescue image file) without reading the B3 manual.

For some reason, bubba doesn't always likes all USB sticks. Many people have come here with complaints about not being able to start from usb. Generally the advice was to retry a few times (which I take you already did) and /or try another USB stick.

Let us know if this helps at all

[ryz]

Are you sure that the light should turn anything other then green when in rescue mode?

Have you checked if the B3 have asked for an ip address from your DHCP server? You are sure you have connected to the B3 on the WAN port and not on the LAN port when using the rescue image?

[Cheeseboy]

Hi,

It is true that it seems to be a random thing if your USB-stick manages to boot your bubba.

Just to make things clear:
If you normally depend on your bubba to be a DHCP server for your network, it will not work.
You will have to dig out some other equipment that can do the job and plug the WAN port into that when you use the rescue-stick. You will then have to connect a computer to the same router/whatever that the bubba is connected to, and then figure out from your router what IP address the bubba was given.
THEN you can try to connect to it using SSH as root with "excito" as password.

A lot of IFs, I know...
If I remember correctly, the green light stopped blinking when it was ready (but it took me 3 attempts before I had everything set up as described above).

Good luck!

Cheeseboy

[ewr]

I changed the usb and it is working now although I wonder if it has been working all the time ( I didn't go back and use my first usb again).

The thing is that the manual is somewhat misleading IMHO: In the section about reinstallation it says that is it finished once the light becomes blue, and I assumed that the same was true when booting in rescue mode. But it is not: The light remains green (no blinking). So it seems that after a short period (about 10 seconds) the usb has been read and the system is ready for login.

So my first description is actually the correct behaviour. You just have to know that.

In hindsight I should have checked my DHCP server right away, and tried to login. Thanks for the input!

[Ubi]

seems we need a wiki entry for the rescue procedure...

[albert]

I had to use the rescue usb because I buggered up the iptables stuff and couldn't get in.
Since I am not good in updating the wiki maybe somebody else could do that?

Anyway, here is what I did:

- Downloaded the appropriate rescue/install image (in my case for the b3).
- Formatted a USB stick with FAT32 (and partition type "b" which stands for W95 FAT32.
- Made sure the FAT32 partition is bootable.
- Unpacked the image zip file and put it on the stick, there is only one directory in the root of the USB stick, called "install" nothing else. All other files start in the install directory.
- In the file install/bubba.cfg change the parameter DO_INSTALL from 1 to 0 (which means, no install just a rescue system).
- Stick this USB stick in one of the two USB ports.
- Make sure the WAN port is connected to the network containing a DHCP server, the WAN port will be the only port available when in rescue mode.
- Unplug the powercable from the bubba.
- Press the reset button and keep it pressed, while you ...
- Plug the powercable in, keep the reset button pressed.
- The powerled will be green (and stay green during the rescue session).
- After a minute (just to be sure) you can release the reset button.
- Try to figure out which IP number your bubba got from the DHCP server (this can be a bit tricky).
- Login using ssh as user root with password excito (ssh root@<ipnr>).

What you will notice is that the usb stick is mounted on /mnt/usb, the internal disk is NOT mounted, you can do that with "mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/disk". Now you'll find the bubba system under /mnt/disk and can edit/change files when needed.

After your finished, do a reboot. Since you don't have the reset button pressed, it will boot up normally.

Be aware that you might have to swap ethernet cables back. Remember that the WAN (= eth0) was connected to the network with the DHCP server. In normal use that could be the LAN (= eth1) port, so you may have to swap that back in order to be able to get into system again.

Hope this helps,

Albert

[Cheeseboy]

Forum member Silverlight (Asad on the wiki), has gone on a rampage and added a shitload of stuff from the forums to the wiki. Perhaps if you ping him, he will add this too...

[paulchany]

I had to use the rescue usb because I buggered up the iptables stuff and couldn't get in.
Since I am not good in updating the wiki maybe somebody else could do that?

Anyway, here is what I did:

What you will notice is that the usb stick is mounted on /mnt/usb, the internal disk is NOT mounted, you can do that with "mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/disk". Now you'll find the bubba system under /mnt/disk and can edit/change files when needed.

Albert

I did 'mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/disk' and 'cd /mnt/disk' but can't reach from there my home directory where I have backup of the uImage. I actually must to copy it from there to /boot directory. So, How can I mount my home directory?

I search for a solution and get these informations:

Code: Select all

less /etc/fstab

/dev/sda1 / ext3 noatime,defaults 0 1
/dev/mapper/bubba-storage /home ext3 defaults 0 2

Code: Select all

fdisk /dev/sda

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1217 9775521 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 1218 60669 477548190 8e Linux LVM
/dev/sda3 60670 60801 1060290 82 Linux swap

but don't know how to go further?

[RandomUsername]

Try

Code: Select all

mount /dev/mapper/bubba-storage /home

[paulchany]

Try

Code: Select all

mount /dev/mapper/bubba-storage /home

mount: mounting /dev/mapper/bubba-storage on /home failed: No such file or directory