I'm running Suse Linux 8.0 and just came across a problem where I can't list the file system files or folders at the root level.

I can still navigate the file system, but this is all I see with a list command:

mysql:/ # ll
total 33
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Mar 30 16:32
drwxr-xr-x 21 root root 656 Jun 3 10:43 ..
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 48 Feb 21 2003 .qt
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 19553 Feb 21 2003 .xftcache
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Feb 21 2003 cdrom -> /media/cdrom
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Feb 21 2003 dvd -> /media/dvd
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Feb 21 2003 floppy -> /media/floppy
drwxrwxrwx 4 root root 96 May 12 14:17 restore
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 48 Jun 3 10:07 test
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Feb 25 17:33 È
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Jan 14 11:09 ä

No /var , /opt , /etc , /home , /usr or anything else is listed.

Is this a corrupt index file?
How can I remedy this problem?
Thank you,
fr_baker

Did you type cd / ?

Yes - I can still navigate the file system with the CD command, it just doesn't list or show the file system folders.
I plan to run fsck this weekend and hopefully that will resolve the problem.
Thanks.

From the output you listed you are not in the root directory when you ran the command. You either have to

first then run ll or

Yes - my initial post shows my "ll" command at the root:

mysql:/ # ll

Did you

ll /

or not?

What's listed is not in any root filesystem. Please post the output of the example code above.

darthtux: I think "mysql:/ # ll" == "mysql:/where-ever/ # ll /".

But this does indeed look nothing like any normal root filesystem, and much more like someone's home directory, although even if it were someone's ~, it's still screwed. Why would read-only devices be writable? The biggest hint is the lines

-rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Feb 25 17:33 È
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Jan 14 11:09 ä

It's been ages since I've had to run fsck, but I do recall empty files with top-bit-set charicter filenames being spontaneously created when i-nodes get messed up.

fr_baker: I think fsck is, as you say, your best bet. How did this start (did you just log in and find it like this, or had anything unusual occured)?

Absolutely fsck before things get even more fscked up.. (sorry for the lame pun)

How long has it been since the last fsck and is this machine used pretty intenesely (lot's of files moving around, etc..)?

Don't be surprised if you're missing some files after you fsck too..

Is your username mysql or is that the hostname of your computer?

Running fsck cleared the problem - all folders now list. Including the
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Feb 25 17:33 È
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Jan 14 11:09 ä
unfortunately.

To answer some of your questions:
This server is our primary web server so it does get a lot of use.
I have never manually run fsck on this server, but it does get rebooted periodically.
I don't know of anything that changed on this server, but what drew my attention to the problem initially is the backup failed.

Thank you for all of your feedback.
fr_baker

fr_baker,

That is interesting. I didn't know an inode table could get like that. Glad you got it fixed.