[gentoo-user] I lost the ability to boot into single user

[gentoo-user] I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Nikos Chantziaras]

I used to specify this:

   softlevel=boot

in the Grub screen to boot to single user.  However, this doesn't work 
anymore; it boots right into the "default" runlevel.  I think this 
happened after I upgraded to GCC 4.4.1 (and rebuilt system and world 
with it, and also the kernel.)

What can the problem be?  What is needed for "softlevel=" selection to work?

Re: [gentoo-user] I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Dale]

Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
> I used to specify this:
>
>   softlevel=boot
>
> in the Grub screen to boot to single user.  However, this doesn't work
> anymore; it boots right into the "default" runlevel.  I think this
> happened after I upgraded to GCC 4.4.1 (and rebuilt system and world
> with it, and also the kernel.)
>
> What can the problem be?  What is needed for "softlevel=" selection to
> work?
>
>
>

Try softlevel=single and see if that works.  I go to single user using
the command rc single so it should exist and should work from grub too.

Maybe grub has changed its options?

Dale

:-)  :-)

Re: [gentoo-user] I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Paul Hartman]

On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 3:36 PM, Dale<rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
> Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
>> I used to specify this:
>>
>>   softlevel=boot
>>
>> in the Grub screen to boot to single user.  However, this doesn't work
>> anymore; it boots right into the "default" runlevel.  I think this
>> happened after I upgraded to GCC 4.4.1 (and rebuilt system and world
>> with it, and also the kernel.)
>>
>> What can the problem be?  What is needed for "softlevel=" selection to
>> work?
>>
>>
>>
>
> Try softlevel=single and see if that works.  I go to single user using
> the command rc single so it should exist and should work from grub too.
>
> Maybe grub has changed its options?

I think you can put the number 1 on the end of the line instead for
the same result... not completely sure though. I don't think I've ever
booted to single-user mode.

[gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[ABCD]

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Hash: SHA1

Dale wrote:
> Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
>> I used to specify this:
>>
>>   softlevel=boot
>>
>> in the Grub screen to boot to single user.  However, this doesn't work
>> anymore; it boots right into the "default" runlevel.  I think this
>> happened after I upgraded to GCC 4.4.1 (and rebuilt system and world
>> with it, and also the kernel.)
>>
>> What can the problem be?  What is needed for "softlevel=" selection to
>> work?
>>
>>
>>
> 
> Try softlevel=single and see if that works.  I go to single user using
> the command rc single so it should exist and should work from grub too.
> 
> Maybe grub has changed its options?
> 
> Dale
> 
> :-)  :-)
> 
> 

Openrc no longer supports the softlevel= option on the kernel command
line (this hit me as well, as I use a number of different runlevels).
Instead, pass "S" to skip just about everything, and start a root shell
(via sulogin), or "1" to do the equivalent of "/sbin/rc single" (that
is, drop the softlevel=boot completely, and add the single character "S"
or "1" after a space).

An example from my grub.conf:

    title    Gentoo, current kernel (single user)
    kernel   (hd0,0)/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 1

    title    Gentoo, current kernel (root shell)
    kernel   (hd0,0)/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 S

I also have my /etc/inittab set up so that init's runlevels 2-5 go into
rc's various runlevels (on my machine, 2=default, 3=gui, 4=network,
5=gui-network).

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Albert Hopkins]

> Openrc no longer supports the softlevel= option on the kernel command
> line (this hit me as well, as I use a number of different runlevels).
> Instead, pass "S" to skip just about everything, and start a root shell
> (via sulogin), or "1" to do the equivalent of "/sbin/rc single" (that
> is, drop the softlevel=boot completely, and add the single character "S"
> or "1" after a space).
> 
> An example from my grub.conf:
> 
>     title    Gentoo, current kernel (single user)
>     kernel   (hd0,0)/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 1
> 
>     title    Gentoo, current kernel (root shell)
>     kernel   (hd0,0)/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 S
> 
> I also have my /etc/inittab set up so that init's runlevels 2-5 go into
> rc's various runlevels (on my machine, 2=default, 3=gui, 4=network,
> 5=gui-network).

This is possibly an (unreported) bug.

Just for S&G I booted with "softlevel=BOOT" on an Openrc and it reports
that there is no runlevel BOOT and then basically puts me in single
level mode :|, but "softlevel=boot" seems to be ignored.  I think it
"should" support it... why else would rc-update work with different
runlevels it you are not able to use them?  Also the man pages for
rc-update and rc seem to reflect this.

FWIW I usually forgo the runlevels and just use init=/bin/bash because
it doesn't prompt for the root password and pretty much the only time i
need to boot into single user is when I've forgotten the root
password :P

-a

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Dale]

Albert Hopkins wrote:
>> Openrc no longer supports the softlevel= option on the kernel command
>> line (this hit me as well, as I use a number of different runlevels).
>> Instead, pass "S" to skip just about everything, and start a root shell
>> (via sulogin), or "1" to do the equivalent of "/sbin/rc single" (that
>> is, drop the softlevel=boot completely, and add the single character "S"
>> or "1" after a space).
>>
>> An example from my grub.conf:
>>
>>     title    Gentoo, current kernel (single user)
>>     kernel   (hd0,0)/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 1
>>
>>     title    Gentoo, current kernel (root shell)
>>     kernel   (hd0,0)/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 S
>>
>> I also have my /etc/inittab set up so that init's runlevels 2-5 go into
>> rc's various runlevels (on my machine, 2=default, 3=gui, 4=network,
>> 5=gui-network).
>>     
>
> This is possibly an (unreported) bug.
>
> Just for S&G I booted with "softlevel=BOOT" on an Openrc and it reports
> that there is no runlevel BOOT and then basically puts me in single
> level mode :|, but "softlevel=boot" seems to be ignored.  I think it
> "should" support it... why else would rc-update work with different
> runlevels it you are not able to use them?  Also the man pages for
> rc-update and rc seem to reflect this.
>
> FWIW I usually forgo the runlevels and just use init=/bin/bash because
> it doesn't prompt for the root password and pretty much the only time i
> need to boot into single user is when I've forgotten the root
> password :P
>
> -a
>
>
>   

I agree, this should be reported so it can be fixed.  While
init-/bin/bash would work, it shouldn't be the only option.  Who would
want to put that option in grub and make it easy for someone to hack in?

I did try softlevel=single a bit ago and it booted all the way but with
no GUI.  It went waaaay past single tho.  rc-status reported it was in
single user mode but it wasn't.  Console #2 and up was working but X
didn't start.

Pretty darn weird.  :/  Who's going to open the can of Raid?

Dale

:-)  :-) 

[gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Nikos Chantziaras]

On 08/18/2009 02:00 AM, Dale wrote:
> I agree, this should be reported so it can be fixed.  While
> init-/bin/bash would work, it shouldn't be the only option.

I filed a bug for it: http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=281850

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Dan Farrell]

On Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:27:57 +0300
Nikos Chantziaras <realnc@arcor.de> wrote:

> On 08/18/2009 02:00 AM, Dale wrote:
> > I agree, this should be reported so it can be fixed.  While
> > init-/bin/bash would work, it shouldn't be the only option.
> 
> I filed a bug for it: http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=281850
> 
> 

In a pinch, you can also use the argument init=/bin/bash to get a
bash shell up without using init.  It's saved me a CD or a heap of
trouble a few times.  

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Alan McKinnon]

On Wednesday 19 August 2009 01:11:50 Dan Farrell wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:27:57 +0300
>
> Nikos Chantziaras <realnc@arcor.de> wrote:
> > On 08/18/2009 02:00 AM, Dale wrote:
> > > I agree, this should be reported so it can be fixed.  While
> > > init-/bin/bash would work, it shouldn't be the only option.
> >
> > I filed a bug for it: http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=281850
>
> In a pinch, you can also use the argument init=/bin/bash to get a
> bash shell up without using init.  It's saved me a CD or a heap of
> trouble a few times.

Wait until some bastard runs

mv /bin/bash /bin/bash.gotcha

then you try init=/bin/bash :-)

It causes utter carnage, without another shell handy, you do need a CD to get 
around that one.

-- 
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Albert Hopkins]

On Wed, 2009-08-19 at 01:20 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
> > In a pinch, you can also use the argument init=/bin/bash to get a
> > bash shell up without using init.  It's saved me a CD or a heap of
> > trouble a few times.
> 
> Wait until some bastard runs
> 
> mv /bin/bash /bin/bash.gotcha
> 
> then you try init=/bin/bash :-)
> 
> It causes utter carnage, without another shell handy, you do need a CD
> to get 
> around that one.

Hmm.. let's see, who could successfully run that command?

$ ls -ld /bin /bin/bash
4.0K drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4.0K 2009-08-17 12:56 /bin/
864K -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 861K 2009-08-15 20:46 /bin/bash*

Oh, the same "bastard" who can 'passwd root' or 'rm -rf /' or pretty
much  anything else.

So if you have a person who has the capability and will to do that then
I think you have far more to worry about.

So the moral to the story is don't give root access to "bastards".

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Shawn Haggett]

On Wednesday 19 August 2009 09:17:30 Albert Hopkins wrote:
> On Wed, 2009-08-19 at 01:20 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
> > > In a pinch, you can also use the argument init=/bin/bash to get a
> > > bash shell up without using init.  It's saved me a CD or a heap of
> > > trouble a few times.
> >
> > Wait until some bastard runs
> >
> > mv /bin/bash /bin/bash.gotcha
> >
> > then you try init=/bin/bash :-)
> >
> > It causes utter carnage, without another shell handy, you do need a CD
> > to get
> > around that one.
>
> Hmm.. let's see, who could successfully run that command?
>
> $ ls -ld /bin /bin/bash
> 4.0K drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4.0K 2009-08-17 12:56 /bin/
> 864K -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 861K 2009-08-15 20:46 /bin/bash*
>
> Oh, the same "bastard" who can 'passwd root' or 'rm -rf /' or pretty
> much  anything else.
>
> So if you have a person who has the capability and will to do that then
> I think you have far more to worry about.
>
> So the moral to the story is don't give root access to "bastards".

Does that include bastard operators? Or only when they come from hell? :P

Shawn

[gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Nikos Chantziaras]

On 08/19/2009 02:11 AM, Dan Farrell wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:27:57 +0300
> Nikos Chantziaras<realnc@arcor.de>  wrote:
>
>> On 08/18/2009 02:00 AM, Dale wrote:
>>> I agree, this should be reported so it can be fixed.  While
>>> init-/bin/bash would work, it shouldn't be the only option.
>>
>> I filed a bug for it: http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=281850
>>
>
> In a pinch, you can also use the argument init=/bin/bash to get a
> bash shell up without using init.  It's saved me a CD or a heap of
> trouble a few times.

The real problem is that I can't boot the box into a VM anymore.  On 
this machine, I have three grub entries: "softlevel=native", 
"softlevel=vmware" and "softlevel=xen", each booting a suitable kernel 
and moving the right xorg.conf into /etc/X11.  That functionality is 
lost and is a major problem.

[gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[ABCD]

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Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
> On 08/19/2009 02:11 AM, Dan Farrell wrote:
>> On Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:27:57 +0300
>> Nikos Chantziaras<realnc@arcor.de>  wrote:
>>
>>> On 08/18/2009 02:00 AM, Dale wrote:
>>>> I agree, this should be reported so it can be fixed.  While
>>>> init-/bin/bash would work, it shouldn't be the only option.
>>>
>>> I filed a bug for it: http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=281850
>>>
>>
>> In a pinch, you can also use the argument init=/bin/bash to get a
>> bash shell up without using init.  It's saved me a CD or a heap of
>> trouble a few times.
> 
> The real problem is that I can't boot the box into a VM anymore.  On
> this machine, I have three grub entries: "softlevel=native",
> "softlevel=vmware" and "softlevel=xen", each booting a suitable kernel
> and moving the right xorg.conf into /etc/X11.  That functionality is
> lost and is a major problem.
> 

What I believe you are supposed to do now is edit /etc/inittab, changing
the commands to run at init runlevels 2-5 to match the rc runlevel that
you want to enter.  Then you can pass the proper number on the kernel
command line.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Renat Golubchyk]

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Am Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:47:15 -0400
schrieb ABCD <en.ABCD@gmail.com>:
> Openrc no longer supports the softlevel= option on the kernel command
> line (this hit me as well, as I use a number of different runlevels).

Is this documented somewhere? I'm asking because I have no problem with
booting into different runlevels with the softlevel= option. I have a
~x86 notebook and a ~amd64 notebook both working flawlessly.


Cheers,
Renat

-- 
Probleme kann man niemals mit derselben Denkweise loesen,
durch die sie entstanden sind.
                                              (Einstein)

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[gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Nikos Chantziaras]

On 08/19/2009 12:55 PM, Renat Golubchyk wrote:
> Am Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:47:15 -0400
> schrieb ABCD<en.ABCD@gmail.com>:
>> Openrc no longer supports the softlevel= option on the kernel command
>> line (this hit me as well, as I use a number of different runlevels).
>
> Is this documented somewhere? I'm asking because I have no problem with
> booting into different runlevels with the softlevel= option. I have a
> ~x86 notebook and a ~amd64 notebook both working flawlessly.

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=2&chap=4#doc_chap5

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Sebastian Beßler]

Nikos Chantziaras schrieb:
> On 08/19/2009 12:55 PM, Renat Golubchyk wrote:
>> Am Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:47:15 -0400
>> schrieb ABCD<en.ABCD@gmail.com>:
>>> Openrc no longer supports the softlevel= option on the kernel command
>>> line (this hit me as well, as I use a number of different runlevels).
>>
>> Is this documented somewhere? I'm asking because I have no problem with
>> booting into different runlevels with the softlevel= option. I have a
>> ~x86 notebook and a ~amd64 notebook both working flawlessly.
> 
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=2&chap=4#doc_chap5

All I can see there is how to do it WITH softlevel. Nowhere I can find
something about that it isn't supported in OpenRC.

Greets

Sebastian

[gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Nikos Chantziaras]

On 08/20/2009 01:43 AM, Sebastian Beßler wrote:
> Nikos Chantziaras schrieb:
>> On 08/19/2009 12:55 PM, Renat Golubchyk wrote:
>>> Am Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:47:15 -0400
>>> schrieb ABCD<en.ABCD@gmail.com>:
>>>> Openrc no longer supports the softlevel= option on the kernel command
>>>> line (this hit me as well, as I use a number of different runlevels).
>>>
>>> Is this documented somewhere? I'm asking because I have no problem with
>>> booting into different runlevels with the softlevel= option. I have a
>>> ~x86 notebook and a ~amd64 notebook both working flawlessly.
>>
>> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=2&chap=4#doc_chap5
>
> All I can see there is how to do it WITH softlevel. Nowhere I can find
> something about that it isn't supported in OpenRC.

Oops, sorry then.  I misunderstood your question.

Re: [gentoo-user] I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Paul Hartman]

On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 3:04 PM, Nikos Chantziaras<realnc@arcor.de> wrote:
> I used to specify this:
>
>  softlevel=boot
>
> in the Grub screen to boot to single user.  However, this doesn't work
> anymore; it boots right into the "default" runlevel.  I think this happened
> after I upgraded to GCC 4.4.1 (and rebuilt system and world with it, and
> also the kernel.)
>
> What can the problem be?  What is needed for "softlevel=" selection to work?

According to Wolfram Schlich in bug 213988:

"softlevel= as a kernel parameter will be replaced by rc_runlevel= in OpenRC
0.2.2 and higher"

[gentoo-user] Re: I lost the ability to boot into single user

[Nikos Chantziaras]

On 08/20/2009 05:23 PM, Paul Hartman wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 3:04 PM, Nikos Chantziaras<realnc@arcor.de>  wrote:
>> I used to specify this:
>>
>>   softlevel=boot
>>
>> in the Grub screen to boot to single user.  However, this doesn't work
>> anymore; it boots right into the "default" runlevel.  I think this happened
>> after I upgraded to GCC 4.4.1 (and rebuilt system and world with it, and
>> also the kernel.)
>>
>> What can the problem be?  What is needed for "softlevel=" selection to work?
>
> According to Wolfram Schlich in bug 213988:
>
> "softlevel= as a kernel parameter will be replaced by rc_runlevel= in OpenRC
> 0.2.2 and higher"

Doesn't work either.