Borked Install Dumps To Scary CLI

[fleamour]

I was installing VLC 1.0.0rc4 .pet under Puppy Lucid 5.2, when it came to installing the required patch package, my system froze so I enforced shutdown. Upon reboot I am greeted with:

Code: Select all

/sbin/init:  Line 16: cut: command not found
/sbin/init:  Line 17: cut: command not found

Previous improper shutdown, sorry can only do f.s. check of ext 2/3/4.  rebooting...

Making the filesystem usable...rm:  /lib/libc.50.6:  version 'GLIBC_2.11' not found (required by rm)
ID: creating symbolic link '/etc/mtab' file exists                 done
updating...                                                                     done
loading kernel modules...                                                done
loading swap partition /dev/sda5...                                  done
waiting for modules to complete loading...                 
pcmcia usb                                                                    done
setting up services (network, printing, etc)...                    [background]
recognising media devices...                                           optical input
log in [4106]:  root login on 'ttyl'
cat:  /usr/local/bin/defaultbrowser. no such file or directory # 

Is my system borked? Or (hopefully) can it be recovered?

[jamesbond]

Assuming you do frugal install:
1. Boot with your original Puppy CD.
2. Go to the folder where your puppy installation is.
3. Rename the save file (this can be lupusave, pupsave, fluppysave etc depending on which flavours of puppy you installed) - just change the filename from something-save to "my-old-save-file".
4. Reboot - everything will start from fresh, and it will ask you to create a new savefile.
5. If you need data from your old save file, just go to that my-old-save-file.2fs and double-click to mount it. Your old data is all there.

=== if you use grub or grub4dos, you don't even need your puppy CD. When grub starts up, highlight your puppy installation (usually the 1st line), then press "e" (for edit). Move your cursor to the 2nd line (the on that starts with kernel), and press "e" again. Add "pfix=ram" to that line. Then press "Enter" and press "b" to boot. If you forget which keys to press, don't worry - there is a reminder at the bottom of the grub menu. This has the same effect of doing step 1 above (ie, boot with your puppy CD).

Good luck.

[fleamour]

Forgot to mention this is a full install. I am hoping my hours of tweaking are not lost, though frugal is definitely the way forward in hindsight (more upgradable/secure.)

EDIT: Oh & GRUB2

[fleamour]

Should I scrap & start afresh?

[jamesbond]

There is still something that you can do if you're prepared for the risk - what I'm going to propose is a last-ditch measure, and if it fails, it will render your system completely unusable (not even the terminal).

If you're prepared for that, then follow these steps:

1. Boot with your puppy CD
2. mount the partition you've done the full install to (I will assume this to be sda1, if it isn't, then replace any occurence of sda1 with sda2, sda3 or wherever your puppy is installed.
3. Open the terminal. Yes I know you're scared, but you need to do this.
4. The following steps, you need to it inside the terminal.

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cp -avf /initrd/pup_ro2/usr /
cp -avf /initrd/pup_ro2/lib /

5. When done, just copy the terminal window and unmount your partition. Then reboot - and good luck.

Note: if this works, DO NOT TRY to uninstall VLC pet. vlc will still be there, it will be broken and not working, but DO NOT TRY to uninstall it or you'll end up in the same situation again.

[stu90]

Maybe worth a try?
Boot from CD / USB or whatever mount your puppy partition and navigate to /root/.packages
Look for the VLC .txt file open it in text editor, you should see a list off all that VLC has installed - search through your system and remove then all.

[jamesbond]

stu, in all likelihood that vlc pet has overwritten important system libraries. Thus deleting those files from the vlc pet won't help much - the system files are gone anyway.
Thus my previous suggestion, which is to copy over everything in /lib and /usr from puppy CD to his full install.

[rjbrewer]

Fleamor;

I only use full installs!

After hard shutdown, when it drops to command prompt when
trying to boot; type reboot.

When files are corrupted or links broken, there are 2 things I
try depending on severity of situation.

1. Insert the cd once booted, use pfind to find corrupted files in the install and get them from the cd.

2. Delete the botched download from ppm. Boot the cd (puppy pfix=ram). Rerun the full install, choose "upgrade" not "wipe".

Even with 6-10 Puppies running, I almost never run into a problem
like this with a full install.

With frugal.......get used to it!