Booting Interactive UNIX in single user mode.

[J.R. Jesson]

In article <MALCOLMP.91Mar27170147 at fungus.otca.oz>, malcolmp at otca.oz (Malcolm Purvis) writes:
|> 
|>     The installation of a new network device and driver on one of our
|> Interactive 2.0.2 machines has resulted in an error in the /etc/netd.cf file
|> and so /etc/netd fails when the machine reboots.  This has had the useful side
|> effect of hanging the reboot sequence so I never get a login prompt and thus
|> can't fix the file.
|> 
|>     So, is there anyway I can boot up the thing in single user mode so I can
|> fix the stupid file?  The man page for init says that it will only prompt for
|> an init level to start up in if there is no initdefault entry in /etc/inittab,
|> which of course there is by default and I have no way of logging in to change
|> it.  Is there anything I can do short of reinstalling UNIX?
|> 
Grumble!  I've run into exactly the same situation under 2.2.  The only 
way I was able to get things restored was to: 
  (1) bring up ISC from the boot/install diskettes.  *Whatever* you do, dont
      select install at the menu; instead type either update -or- shell
      (I'm doing this from memory, so bear with me).  The point is to get
      to the minimal shell as quickly as possible.

  (2) mount the root partition on /mnt.  You wont have the ls command on 
      the install diskette, so it may be tough to figure it out, but 
      evenutally you will get there.  As I remember, the mount command
      works a little differently from the boot floppies than normal.

  (3) goto /mnt/etc and rename inittab to something else.

  (4) type shutdown at the command prompt.

This should work.  It worked for me at about 2:00 am, so with a little
care you shouldnt have to reinstall the O.S.  (Pain in the ass, aint it?)

J.R.