Trouble with Runlevel

[Brad Cox]

On Tue, Mar 21, 2000 at 11:05:32AM -0800, GLoraditch at ci.santa-rosa.ca.us wrote:
> This is a problem with Runlevel.
> 
> When booting, my machine stops and asks to 'Enter Runlevel:' which I presume
> will be 5 to run x.  However, when I enter that number, 'Init, no more
> processes...' is displayed and the machine hangs.  Presumably, this means a
> problem with my /etc/inittab file.

First, I am little concerned with it asking you for a runlevel, as none of
my RH6.x machine (about 25) ask for that by default.

> So I try numbers 3 and 2 at the 'Enter runlevel' prompt again after two more
> reboots.  Still get the same result.
> 
> At this point, I shift at LILO prompt to get in as Linux single.  (Done
> under 5, 3, and 2 with same results).  I'm at bash#, and decide to edit the
> /etc/inittab.  I try vi, since it is the only one that seems to work.
> Emacs, joe, jed, don't work or aren't recognized.  
> 
> So when I try to edit in vi by the following steps:  1. vi /etc/inittab , 2.
> i , 3. d:5:initdefault , 4. esc , and then 5. qw!, it will only recognize
> q!, since the message with w! says 'Cannot open file...'

vi /etc/inittab
go to the line with "id..."  
It should read "id:5:initdefault:" for level 5
[Esc] ":wq!"  (I believe this is where the perm error comes from as it
shouldn't be ":qw!")

> Great, now its a permission issue.  I try su at bash and get a new prompt,
> and go through the motions with vi again to edit.  However, it is the same
> result of cannot open /etc/inittab in order to save the updated file.  At
> this point, I am at a loss (and yes, still a newbie).

If you booted single user, there are no permission problems, as you are
root.  (tangent: man lilo.conf, search for password and then restricted)

> Any thoughts or comments as to a point in the right direction would help.
> And does anyone make house calls?  ( I would hate to reinstall, and don't
> have a real boot disk....only an install disk).  My distro:  RH 6.0
> (hedwig).

That all depends on where your house is.  

-- 
Brad Cox, KB1CZQ	http://www.sonic.net/~kb1czq	kb1czq at sonic.net
Some people only open up to tell you that they're closed.