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Mac Forum / Country Specific / Australian Mac Group / August 2004OS X glitch and UNIX command
Having successfully reinstalled OSX (latest) on a friend's computer, she wished to use 9.2.2 until she got familiar with the OSX environment. I restarted the computer for her in 9.2.2 and all was well. Apparently at one point she ran Norton's in 9.2.2 and heaven knows what "fixes" she did at its bidding. I am blaming that (probably unjustly) for what followed subsequently. When I went to boot up the computer in OSX, the UNIX screen came up and said the following: /etc/master.passwd: not a directory /etc/master.passwd: not a directory -sh: /etc/profile: Not a directory -sh-2.05b# That's where it stopped. Exiting simply returned to this command. I could not get an option to restart in 9.2.2 and certainly not to get into the OSX I installed successfully a few days ago. Trying fsck -y said that the volume was journaled and it would need -f to force the check, which I did, but that didn't clear it. How do I deal with the command above and regain control of the computer? This is the second time this has happened. What I don't know about UNIX fills large manuals.... Denis > Having successfully reinstalled OSX (latest) on a friend's computer, > she wished to use 9.2.2 until she got familiar with the OSX [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > computer? This is the second time this has happened. What I don't know > about UNIX fills large manuals.... Hi Denis, Seen this before - this is not a fix that Apple will tell you (well, they haven't told my customers who have had this problem)... You're at the single-user command line when you see the sh-2.05b# but not quite the same single-user command line you get by holding down Apple-S on startup. You can still fix this problem, though (this has worked for me 3 times now - twice with a customer who kept using Norton's after the first problem, once just last Tuesday where we don't know what caused it). The problem is that the symbolic links (read, aliases) that point to the /private/etc directory (and some others) that normally reside in the root level of the hard disk have gone AWOL. Type this command at that prompt: ls -l / And look lines that look like lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 11 2 Jun 23:49 etc -> private/etc lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 9 18 Aug 13:33 mach -> /mach.sym lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 11 2 Jun 23:49 tmp -> private/tmp lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 11 2 Jun 23:49 var -> private/var If any of those are gone, you'll need to recreate them, which we can easily do with the following commands: /sbin/fsck -y /sbin/mount -uw / ln -s /private/etc etc ln -s /mach.sym mach ln -s /private/tmp tmp ln -s /private/var var The first line checks the hard disk, the second mounts it as read and write so you can create files on the disk (first two lines are mentioned in a "normal" single-user boot). This is the dangerous part, because you now have complete access to the HD and can wreck it with a bad rm command - only use the above commands. The third to sixth lines recreate the links - only use the lines which create the links which are missing from the ls -l command before. This is something I figured out when the first customer had this problem - they'd already spoken to Apple who only suggested a complete re-install (thanks but no thanks, Apple). This method is much quicker and easier and you keep everything else on the HD. Once that's all done, type this command: /sbin/reboot That should be it! Hope that's of use, Sean ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sean McNamara mailto:sean@macassist.com.au MacAssist Ph: (02) 8920 0866 Authorised Apple Solutions Reseller Fax: (02) 8920 0877 ABN 95 758 412 281 Mobile: 0414 270 132 > Hi Denis, > > Seen this before - this is not a fix that Apple will tell you (well, > they haven't told my customers who have had this problem)... Sean - just got home after being away for the weekend - I am very pleased that you are offering what seems to be the solution for this problem. I won't be able to check it till tomorrow, but it's the most promising one I've seen so far. Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to provide a clear method of dealing with it. I'll let you know how it goes. If you have had several cases of this happening then it is very likely there are others with no idea about how to tackle it. Much appreciated. Denis Not successful so far, Sean. Here's what happened, step by step. > > Having successfully reinstalled OSX (latest) on a friend's computer, > > she wished to use 9.2.2 until she got familiar with the OSX [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > not quite the same single-user command line you get by holding down > Apple-S on startup. OK. What I have done as described below was tried both from the original sh-2.05b# prompt and by rebooting using Apple-S. No luck.... > Type this command at that prompt: > ls -l / > And look lines that look like > > lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 11 2 Jun 23:49 etc -> private/etc > lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 9 18 Aug 13:33 mach -> /mach.sym > lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 11 2 Jun 23:49 tmp -> private/tmp > lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 11 2 Jun 23:49 var -> private/var Mine doesn't look quite like that. Unfortunately, things disappear off the top of the screen before I can see the first ones (how do you stop scrolling in UNIX? - I used to know but don't have a clue now.) Any line beginning with lr looks like this: lrwxr-xr-x 1 0 80 9 14 August 13.58 mach -> /mach.sym I don't seem to be at an administrator's prompt. I do notice before they shoot off the top of the screen that these directories are preceded with at least 20 lines that say something about master.passwd - perhaps that it's not a directory.... > If any of those are gone, you'll need to recreate them, which we can > easily do with the following commands: > > /sbin/fsck -y When I do this, the text comes up ** /dev/rdisk0s5 ** Root file system ** Checking HFS Plus volume fsck_hfs: Volume is journaled. No checking performed. fsck_hfs: Use the -f option to force checking and then back to the prompt. I have the feeling that this journalling is the key to the problem here. I have used the -f option before on this machine, and it says there's no problem. > /sbin/mount -uw / > ln -s /private/etc etc [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > now have complete access to the HD and can wreck it with a bad rm > command - only use the above commands. I did follow these ln commands above through and it said all those files were present. > The third to sixth lines recreate the links - only use the lines which > create the links which are missing from the ls -l command before. I'm not exactly sure I follow you here. > This > is something I figured out when the first customer had this problem - > they'd already spoken to Apple who only suggested a complete re-install > (thanks but no thanks, Apple). This method is much quicker and easier > and you keep everything else on the HD. That's what I'd like to do. This has got to have a simple solution. > Once that's all done, type this command: > > /sbin/reboot Rebooting brought me back to the same screen from which I can't proceed. Is there perhaps some little step that would be obvious to a programmer but which I've missed? As I said before, I am very grateful for what help you have given so far. Nice to know someone else out there had the same problem! Denis > Not successful so far, Sean. Here's what happened, step by step. I'll leave my originals in there for context, sorry for the resultant padding, folx. > > > Having successfully reinstalled OSX (latest) on a friend's computer, > > > she wished to use 9.2.2 until she got familiar with the OSX [quoted text clipped - 53 lines] > preceded with at least 20 lines that say something about master.passwd > - perhaps that it's not a directory.... Rereading your original post, I think this is a variation of the problem I've already seen - I think that the symlinks have been corrupted by NUM, and are no longer valid symplink - the similar problem I've seen is where the symlinks have been deleted by NUM. Try this ls -l / | /usr/bin/grep lrw That should just bring up the symbolic link files ro seeing if they're all there already. > > If any of those are gone, you'll need to recreate them, which we can > > easily do with the following commands: [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > is the key to the problem here. I have used the -f option before on > this machine, and it says there's no problem. OK, so we'll accept that's OK for now. I don't think the jorunalling is the problem. > > /sbin/mount -uw / > > ln -s /private/etc etc [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > I did follow these ln commands above through and it said all those > files were present. I would then rm the 4 symlinks (after doing the mount command) - they sound like they're already present (and you can confirm by the above grep'ed ls -l command): rm etc rm mach rm temp rm var This won't remove the actual files pointed to by the symplinks, as confirmed by rm's man page ("The rm utility removes symbolic links, not the files referenced by the links"). You can then use my original ln -s commands to recreate the links. > > The third to sixth lines recreate the links - only use the lines which > > create the links which are missing from the ls -l command before. > > I'm not exactly sure I follow you here. I just meant that if there was a tmp symlink already present, don't recreate it. Given they're all there but non-functional, the above deletion will prevent an "already present" error message. > > This > > is something I figured out when the first customer had this problem - [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > As I said before, I am very grateful for what help you have given so > far. Nice to know someone else out there had the same problem! No, no step you've missed, just a variation on my original procedure to suit your circumstances, which were different to what I thought they were. Hope that works - let me know how it goes. Regards Sean ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sean McNamara mailto:sean@macassist.com.au MacAssist Ph: (02) 8920 0866 Authorised Apple Solutions Reseller Fax: (02) 8920 0877 ABN 95 758 412 281 Mobile: 0414 270 132 ...attempted to give advice which was greatly appreciated, but which didn't do the trick. Hi Sean. The problem seems to be in the /etc/master.password: Not a directory part of it. When I started to follow through your next set of instructions, the grep command turned up two files, preceded by about 60 identical lines that read /etc/master.passwd: Not a Directory. Any attempt to make the subsequent changes seems blocked by this command. I think that if that master.passwd function can't be detoured around or zapped, I can't proceed. Do you have any ideas on that? I can detail the sequence of responses by the computer to your last set of instructions if you like, but they all boiled down to that things couldn't be removed. ls -l / | /usr/bin/grep lrw resulted in /etc/master.password: Not a directory [repeated approx 60 times] lrwxr-xr-x 1 0 80 15 22 Oct 2003 Desktop (Mac OS 9) -> /Desktop Folder lrwxr-xr-x 1 0 80 9 14 Aug 13:58 mach -> /mach.sym Running the mounting commands tells me that all 4 files exist. Running the rm commands brings up the following: /etc/master.password: Not a directory override rwxr -xr-x 0/80 for etc? I said y and the line comes up rm: etc: Read-only file system ditto for the others. That's why I think that master.passwd problem is causing it. Trying to recreate the links using ln -s thus doesn't work, and a reboot brings me back to the same ole problem! Can't tell you how much I appreciate your advice so far. I am sure if you had the computer in front of you you'd have it sorted in ten minutes, but I am grateful for your going through these laborious hoops to try to hep. With best wishes, Denis If the items in question look like aliases when in OS 9 what you can do is easy if you have access to another computer with the same version of OS X on it. Delete the items that look like aliases and copy them from the second computer to the original. You will need to be booted into OS 9 to make it easy to see the files if you don't want to use the terminal to copy the files. Once you drag the files over then reboot the computer and all will be well. You will notice the new files will not be aliases when copied. Burn the norton disc. This is probably why they are not making Utilities for macintosh any more. You can use target disc mode to mount the faulty drive. or you could reinstall X after deletingthe faulty items. > If the items in question look like aliases when in OS 9 what you can do > is easy if you have access to another computer with the same version of [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > or you could reinstall X after deletingthe faulty items. Overall, I find it much more reliable to recreate the links in Mac OS X, even if it is in the command line and single user mode. It makes sure everything is "just right". I also prefer recreating the links to re-installing OS X, which is way overkill for this problem. Some versions of Norton's are fine - but in this case, I agree that the Norton's disk used should be remove from the computer in question. Sean ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sean McNamara mailto:sean@macassist.com.au MacAssist Ph: (02) 8920 0866 Authorised Apple Solutions Reseller Fax: (02) 8920 0877 ABN 95 758 412 281 Mobile: 0414 270 132 > Having successfully reinstalled OSX (latest) on a friend's computer, > she wished to use 9.2.2 until she got familiar with the OSX [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Denis Your friend probably used an old version of nortons that changes the names of all files that start with a period ".". Best to re-install OSX and burn the Norton's disk. I say, forget the gradual "getting familiar with osx" thing and switch over in one hit. It'll take her a month or two to get entirely used to it, but it will save the pain of problems if running OS9 causes damage to the OSX files while running (eg: by crashing and stuffing up the file system, specially as OSX filesystems are now journalled). Amos > Your friend probably used an old version of nortons that changes the > names of all files that start with a period ".". I disagree - the problem is with broken symbolic links, not the name of files. > Best to re-install OSX and burn the Norton's disk. I disagree with this, too - remedial steps are possible which maintain the existing OS X installed. It's just a matter of fine-tuning the steps. Re-installing OS X can be a real pain in the arse. > I say, forget the gradual "getting > familiar with osx" thing and switch over in one hit. It'll take her a > month or two to get entirely used to it, but it will save the pain of > problems if running OS9 causes damage to the OSX files while running > (eg: by crashing and stuffing up the file system, specially as OSX > filesystems are now journalled). I agree with this, although for different reasons. Not had much problem with OS 9 spoiling an OS X installation (except, as previously noted, by older versions of Nortons). Just from a user experience point of view, it's better to make the break and switch entirely to OS X. Regards Sean ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sean McNamara mailto:sean@macassist.com.au MacAssist Ph: (02) 8920 0866 Authorised Apple Solutions Reseller Fax: (02) 8920 0877 ABN 95 758 412 281 Mobile: 0414 270 132 > In article <413116cb@duster.adelaide.on.net>, > I agree with this, although for different reasons. Not had much problem > with OS 9 spoiling an OS X installation (except, as previously noted, by > older versions of Nortons). Just from a user experience point of view, > it's better to make the break and switch entirely to OS X. Once again, thanks for the advice from all quarters. Someone suggested starting in OS 9 but I repeat that this option is now blocked. The irony is that the person I was helping wanted to make a clean break with OS9 but is not particularly computer savvy, and once I installed OSX decided she'd better finish doing some work in OS 9 over the weekend before I gave her lessons in OSX, because she was a bit fazed by the new look of OSX. What I didn't know or expect at the time was that she would decide to run Nortons - God knows why! - on OS 9, and I am willing to bet that she did indeed allow Nortons to mess with the hidden files with dot extensions. When I solve this problem (and regrettably, in spite of your good advice, none of the suggestions have worked), Nortons will be removed entirely from the computer, you can be certain of that! Denis |
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