Re: [gentoo-user] whither booting into single user mode

[Allan Gottlieb <gottlieb@nyu.edu>]

At Wed, 20 Jul 2005 09:52:24 +0200 Mariusz Pękala <skoot@qi.pl> wrote:

> On 2005-07-19 14:28:20 -0400 (Tue, Jul), Allan Gottlieb wrote:
>> Previously I could boot into single user mode with the following line
>> in grub
>> 
>>         kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.8-gentoo-r3 root=/dev/hdc7 single
>> 
>> After a recent emerge sync and update of world, the above is just a
>> normal multiuser boot.
>> 
>> I can use
>> 
>>         kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.8-gentoo-r3 root=/dev/hdc7 softlevel=single
>> 
>> but this is not the same as booting into single user mode.  For
>> example, there are virtual terminals, and hitting ^D does not then put
>> you into multiuser mode.
>> 
>> I like single user mode for doing (incremental) backups each day
>> before logging in.  I realize I can write "init.d scripts" and will
>> probably do so, but having an interactive shell "on the way up to"
>> full multiuser mode seems useful.
>> 
>> Does anyone know the current method of achieving what
>> 
>>         kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.8-gentoo-r3 root=/dev/hdc7 single
>> 
>> use to do a few weeks ago?
>> 
>
> I am not sure and I cannot test it right now, but for last few years if
> I was in need of single user mode a kernel parmaeter 's' was doing its job.
>
> So, check whether:
>     kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.8-gentoo-r3 root=/dev/hdc7 s
> works.
> It should be the same as 'single' but maybe there is some magic in it ;-)

No magic found.

> 'man init' has some info about runlevel 'emergency' or '-b' which promises
> to enter single user mode without running any scripts from /etc/inittab.
>
>     kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.8-gentoo-r3 root=/dev/hdc7 emergency
>
> I believe that's what you're looking for.

This does work, thanks.  It is not the same as the old single (or s)
as you mention (no scripts run).

Thanks for the pointer and tip.
allan

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