Trouble with Runlevel

[E Frank Ball III]

} Part 1 Starting up a kernel:
} Booting your system with an alternate init
}  From Lilo:
}   When you see the Lilo prompt, press shift, then let go and press tab
}   Locate the name of the normal linux kernel label, or the one you know
}    works and is stable, then type that label at the "boot:" prompt and
}    add the following to it: init=/bin/bash so you should see:
}   LILO
}   Boot: YourKernelLabel init=/sbin/bash

Interesting stuff.  I hope I never get to use it.

} running. No networking has been setup, and no modules are likely to be
} loaded in memory for special devices configured to be used with modules.
} 
} You should just see a root prompt staring you in the face.

Unless you have a SCSI drive and needed a SCSI module, then your hosed.

} Part 4: (SYNC the disk before rebooting!)
} 
} (Most Important part if you have chosen to remount your system with RW
} access!)

And if your using a rescue system you either need to do this or unmount
the filesystem before shutting down.

Also if you do need a rescue system the live file system CD that comes
with the official SuSE is the best rescue system I've seen.

} Part Unrelated to above:
} Sometimes it is just easier to re-install unless you have a good idea
} where the problem is, or how it was created. Perhaps having a buddy come
} over to examine your system is a quick solution. Perhaps, they may tell
} you, you need to re-install due to major corruption of your sbins, and/or
} library files. Perhaps it will just be something simple, like a self
} calling startup script, or bad/damaged kernel, or ?

I can't offer any better help on this damaged system, but I'll take the
opportunity to pontificate about disc partitioning.  

When I set up a system I have at least three partions:  swap, root, and
home.  Additionally I either make partitions for /usr/local and /var or
I make dirctories /home/local and /home/var and symbolic links to point
/usr/local to /home/local and /var to /home/var.

With this setup all customizations except the /etc directory are on the
/home partion, and everything on the CDROM is on the / partition.
Keep a backup copy of the /etc directory handy and you can reload a
system and keep all your customizations and be back on the air pretty
quickly.

Random rpms that come from other sources than the CDROM I keep in
/usr/local/src, and I don't use the /root directory for much of anything
except the .profile, .bashrc, and .exrc files for root.

   E Frank Ball                frankb at efball.com
   work: (707) 794-4168        home: (707) 538-3693