Debian hangs on boot at console setup...

(I'm a Slackware guy and I'm not familiar with Debian)

We've got a Debian box at a remote location (that I can't get to) that is hanging up during boot...

First it was SegFaulting on /etc/init.d/portmap and we booted from a SLAX live CD to renamed that file so it was skipped. Now it gets to setting up the console and hangs and doesn't get to the login prompt...

We've tried going into Single User mode but apparently it boots right past that.


Guidance???? please????

Sounds like you've got some troubleshooting to do.

You say that it "hangs during boot" ... yet it "boots past single user mode" (?). You also say "a remote location (that I can't get to)" ... yet apparently *somebody* can insert a "SLAX live CD".

You *didn't* say if this was a new install (if so - perhaps it's time to *re*install), or what specific error message you're seeing (notably, the *last* messages in "dmesg" before the "hang").

Worst case (assuming you can't boot to a state that gives you *any* kind of logon: either direct, or telnet/ssh):

a) boot from a different OS (a live CD, for example),
b) manually "mount" your hard disk,
... and ...
c) look at the errors in the logs.

'Hope that helps .. PSM