Filled hard disk with wrong CP command...

i92guboj · 02-10-2009, 03:25 AM

Go into /root, and use du -sh * again.

Code:

cd /root
du -sh *

buccaneere · 02-10-2009, 08:27 AM

What does this tell me?

Code:

chuckbhp@chuckbhp-laptop:~$ cd /root
chuckbhp@chuckbhp-laptop:/root$ du -sh *
4.0K	Desktop
chuckbhp@chuckbhp-laptop:/root$

i92guboj · 02-10-2009, 08:40 AM

Try this:

Code:

cd /root
shopt -s dotglob
du -sh *

buccaneere · 02-10-2009, 09:06 AM

What is '.local'??? That HAS TO be the problem...

Code:

chuckbhp@chuckbhp-laptop:~$ cd /root
chuckbhp@chuckbhp-laptop:/root$ shopt -s dotglob
chuckbhp@chuckbhp-laptop:/root$ du -sh *
du: cannot read directory `.aptitude': Permission denied
4.0K	.aptitude
4.0K	.bashrc
du: cannot read directory `.config': Permission denied
4.0K	.config
du: cannot read directory `.dbus': Permission denied
4.0K	.dbus
4.0K	Desktop
du: cannot read directory `.gconf': Permission denied
4.0K	.gconf
du: cannot read directory `.gconfd': Permission denied
4.0K	.gconfd
du: cannot read directory `.gnome2': Permission denied
4.0K	.gnome2
du: cannot read directory `.gnome2_private': Permission denied
4.0K	.gnome2_private
du: cannot read directory `.local': Permission denied
4.0K	.local
du: cannot read directory `.nautilus/metafiles': Permission denied
8.0K	.nautilus
4.0K	.profile
4.0K	.pulse
12K	.recently-used.xbel
4.0K	.rnd
du: cannot read directory `.synaptic': Permission denied
4.0K	.synaptic
4.0K	.wapi

chuckbhp@chuckbhp-laptop:/root$ exec sudo -s

[sudo] password for chuckbhp: 
root@chuckbhp-laptop:/root# du -sh *
4.0K	Desktop

root@chuckbhp-laptop:/root# shopt -s dotglob
root@chuckbhp-laptop:/root# du -sh *
4.0K	.aptitude
4.0K	.bashrc
12K	.config
12K	.dbus
4.0K	Desktop
52K	.gconf
4.0K	.gconfd
32K	.gnome2
4.0K	.gnome2_private
78G	.local
8.0K	.nautilus
4.0K	.profile
4.0K	.pulse
12K	.recently-used.xbel
4.0K	.rnd
276K	.synaptic
4.0K	.wapi
root@chuckbhp-laptop:/root#

i92guboj · 02-10-2009, 09:17 AM

You can try to identify the contents by using these commands:

Code:

file /root/.local
head /root/.local

I can't be sure how has this been generated at all other than looking at the contents. It's indeed a huge file. It also seems strange to me that you are getting these "permission denied" warnings. If you are operating as root then you should be able to access anything unless you are using some kind of hardened system. And if you are running as non root, then you shouldn't be able to access /root at all. However that's a different issue.

buccaneere · 02-10-2009, 09:45 AM

Well, if I have to reformat, so be it. I've copied all personal stuff and settings, but I'd still like to try to delete this 78G root file, but don't know how to bring it up.

If I mess something up, I re-format anyway.

Any other ideas?

Thanks...

Code:

root@chuckbhp-laptop:/root# file /root/.local
/root/.local: directory
root@chuckbhp-laptop:/root# gksudo nautilus
seahorse nautilus module initialized
Initializing nautilus-share extension

** (nautilus:9919): WARNING **: Unable to add monitor: Operation not supported

--- Hash table keys for warning below:
--> file:///

(nautilus:9919): Eel-WARNING **: "nautilus-metafile.c: metafiles" hash table still has 1 element at quit time (keys above)

(nautilus:9919): Eel-WARNING **: "nautilus-directory.c: directories" hash table still has 1 element at quit time
seahorse nautilus module shutdown
root@chuckbhp-laptop:/root# head /root/.local
head: error reading `/root/.local': Is a directory

i92guboj · 02-10-2009, 09:52 AM

So, .local is a directory, I didn't knew that.

Then cd into it, and again use du.

Code:

cd /root/.local
du -sh *

... and so on, until you find what's taking up the huge amount of space.

buccaneere · 02-10-2009, 10:07 AM

Well, good detective work so far there i92!

Code:

root@chuckbhp-laptop:/root/.local# du -sh *
78G	share
root@chuckbhp-laptop:/root/.local#

This is one file - correct? Can it be deleted directly from CLI?

i92guboj · 02-10-2009, 10:18 AM

Yes. You can delete it.

My main concern was "why is this file/dir here?".

But since you didn't put it there, we can assume that it's not important for you. You could as well delete the whole directory:

Code:

cd /root
rm -rf .local

Important note: When using rm, and specially when used with -r, -f or both (and even more when doing so as root, you should double check what you are doing. For example, if you write ". local" instead of ".local" the whole contents of the current dir (whatever that is) will be wiped. There's no need to say the consequences that this can have if you miss your target. I tell you this because it seems you never used rm on command line before.

You could delete it from a graphical explorer as well, you might need first to search for an option to show hidden files though.

i92guboj · 02-10-2009, 10:18 AM

[Wiped duplicate, please, any moderator, delete this]

buccaneere · 02-10-2009, 11:00 AM

It was created somehow during the attempted cp process, when I was attempting to copy the Vista bootloader.

It was either exactly what was read to be copied (a 78G file), OR, somehow, an executable which loaded itself on a later restart, and created the file. ???

It has deleted, and I'm restarting...

Cross yer fingers. Cross yer toes. Cross yer eyes, cross everything!!!

buccaneere · 02-10-2009, 11:15 AM

It booted up on second try. Hung on first, halfway through progress bar.

FF is showing page forward and back options lit up (they were not allowed before for space usage.

xorg.conf has lost a setting for touchpad control (eliminate 'tap').

Images can save to desktop again with freed space.

CPU history is still graphing BOTH CPU's. This never worked like this before (I watched it often).

buccaneere · 02-10-2009, 11:31 AM

Shutdown applet works again. It was causing upper and lower panels to disappear, with no shutdown option box. Had to restart X to get shutdown option from login page.

Interesting, shutdown process now shows logo screen and proper progress bar, instead of distortion fade to black.

buccaneere · 02-10-2009, 11:56 AM

Good work i92!

Now, where was I???

Which post in this thread was best to copy the Vista bootloader? I think there's 2 or 3 that seemed proper...

i92guboj · 02-10-2009, 12:11 PM

A bit about semantics: the bool loader is a small piece of code that is usually put into the first sector of a disk or a partition. It takes a few bytes only, and its only task is to load the kernel so the OS can continue booting.

Now, to the point: are you sure that what you want to backup is the "boot loader"? Or do you mean to do a backup or your whole windows installation? These are two very different things.