root filesystem read-only: can't reboot!

paulsm4 · 04-09-2007, 04:09 PM

Hi -

We have an ancient version of Redhat 7.0 running a legacy app.

Last night, the disk max'ed out to 100%. I was able to clear up space ... but a side effect was that the system is no longer able to reboot.

I'm able to do this:
a) go into single user mode (Ctl-X, "linux emergency")
b) run fsck on all partitions (all had shutdown problems; all "fsck'ed" cleanly)
c) mount all the disk partitions (all partitions re-mount cleanly, including the one that reached 100% ... and from which I've successfully deleted several 100 MB)

... but ...

d) "reboot", "init 6" or any similar command hangs:

Quote:

ERROR:
init: cannot create /etc/initrunlvl

e) rdev shows "/dev/hda7 /", and I tried this:

Quote:

rdev -R /dev/hda7 0

"Rdev -R .. 0" didn't give any errors ... but it didn't fix the problem, either. I still get the same errors: "shutdown" hangs (because of the read-only root filesystem), and normal reboot (to init 3) fails.

f) I don't have the original Redhat 7.0 CD

g) I'm not able to make a boot floppy (because /dev/fd0 happens to be on a read-only filesystem)

Quote:

QUESTIONS:
1. Does anybody have any suggestions for how I can get this RedHat system booted again?

2. Does anybody know what happened to "http://www.linuxiso.org": it appears to be down

3. Does anybody know where else I could find a bootable .iso for Redhat 7.0?

Thank you *very* much in advance .. PSM

x_terminat_or_3 · 04-09-2007, 04:44 PM

try remounting your root partition rw

mount / /dev/yourharddiskpartition -o rw remount

paulsm4 · 04-09-2007, 05:19 PM

Hi, x_terminat_or_3 -

Thanx! That worked like a champ! The exact syntax was:

Quote:

1. <Ctl-X> at initial splash screen
<= bypass normal boot

2. linux single
<= Boot to single user mode, at the "boot: " prompt

3. mount /dev/hda7 -o rw,remount /
<= the device name goes first; comma-separated "-o" options next; mount point "/" last

I'm still working on getting the system back up (alas, more problems!) but you definitely helped me make progress! Thank you!

Sincerely .. PSM

PS:
http://www.linuxisos.org has apparently been down for awhile now. Here is an alternative:

http://www.planetmirror.com

x_terminat_or_3 · 04-10-2007, 02:50 PM

Glad to help