ok I think I am hosed but figured perhaps some experts here might have some advice. on my centos 5.2 box (my home computer) I was trying to get xen working. when it refused to boot I figured I'd try the kernels in the centos plus repo. so I enabled that repo in my /etc/yum.repos.d directory and then did a yum update -y. this said it updated my kernels which were pae, xen and regular.


I then rebooted. I just get GRUB in the upper left and cannot type anything (it is not a grub boot prompt). I then tried getting into rescue mode from my original dvd and from another boot disk cd I had made. both after typing linux rescue give one screen of output and then freeze. I wrote down the output.


cpu L1 cache: 32k L1 D cache: 32k
cpu L2 cache: 2048k
cpu pyysical processor ID:0
cpu processor core ID:1
Intel machine check architecture supported
INtel machine check reporting enabled on cpu#1
cpu: intel(R) core(tm)2 cpu 6400 @2.13Ghz stepping 006
total of 2 processors activated (8525.99 Bogomips)
333enabling IO-APIC IRQ-S
.. timer: vector=ox31 APIC1=0
checking tsc sycroniization across 2 cpus: passed
brought up 2 cpu's
migration_cost=83
checking if image is intramfs000it is
freeing initrd memory 5536k freed
net: registered protocol family 16
no dock devices found.
ACPI: bus type pci registered
PCI: using MMCONFIG
PCI: busses that can't use mmconfig will use type1 pci conf access
setting up standard pci resources
ACPI: interpreter enabled
ACPI: using IOAPIC for inturrupt routing
ACPI: PCI root bridge [PCI0] (0000:00)

then nothing

I'm lost

what I am not getting is...even if either a) somehow the updates hosed my os or b) I by coincidence had a hard drive failure at this exact moment (I have never had any issue with this pc)... why would either of those prevent the rescue cd from at least loading in memory to the point where I get a shell...even if I cannot mount the partitions shouldn't I at least get to a shell here? Am I to believe that my dvd drive, memory and hard drive all went when I hit shutdown -r now?

ok I am going to pull out the hard drive and try it on another computer I am open to any suggestions even dumb ones. all my pics is my one year old are on this

Well, take a search for systemrescuecd, download it, and run it. It contains enough tools to allow you to copy out relevant files from the HDD.

thanks I already wiped it out, I had tried the regular cd and dvd (I had both and tested both media) with no luck). I used the fedora 10 live cd and was able to get out my baby pics...so I guess all is ok thanks...

the solution was simple,
run "linux rescue acpi=off"

nope I had tried that too because I had recalled I had to do that to get it working.

oh well fedora is ok but I liked centos better