Re: Help - I can't create device files.

From: Beardy (beardy_at_beardy.net)
Date: 10/27/03

  • Next message: Beardy: "Re: Help - I can't create device files."
    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 01:38:58 +0000
    
    

    Dr. David Kirkby wrote:
    > I had a relatively small problem today on my Ultra 80 running Solaris
    > 9 that I managed to make into a **big** problem. If you have any
    > suggestions how I can get out of this mess, please let me know. Sorry
    > if the message is a bit long-winded, but hopefully someone can see
    > what I need to do.
    >
    > The basic problem is I can't seem to create device files for some
    > external disks, so I can't read them, although the disks are seen by
    > format and mount okay if I boot from cd-rom. That's the problem - this
    > is the background.
    >
    > The original (small) problem was the external disks would not mount.
    > For reasons I can't work out, following a boot -r, the /dev/dsk/c3*
    > device files had been removed and in their place were files which
    > appeared to be on controller #5 (/dev/dsk/c5*) - which is a bit odd
    > given I only have 4 SCSI controllers - two on the motherboard, plus a
    > dual SCSI card.
    >
    > I edited /etc/vfstab and replaced the all the c3's with c5's and the
    > machine booted and mounted all systems okay. However, like a stupid
    > fool, not content with that, I thought I'd remove the appropriate
    > files in /devices, with a hope of getting the disks back to their
    > correct place - on controller #3. The problem was I obviously removed
    > the wrong file(s) in /devices, as then the system was completely
    > unbootable. I could do nothing with it. boot -b, boot -r, all failed
    > miserably.
    >
    > My backups of the root file system were not as recent as they should
    > be, so I booted from CD, mounted and backed up every single partition
    > to tape, although the backup of the root file system was clearly
    > missing some important device files.
    >
    > I then reinstalled the system from the Solaris installation CD, doing
    > the smallest installation. I then did a 'boot cdrom' restored the /
    > and /usr file systems from tape, but without any files in /devices,
    > /dsk or /rdsk.
    >
    > The system now boots and mounts all the file systems I created during
    > the install (/, /var, /usr), plus one other (/export/home) which is on
    > an internal disk. The data on /export/home has not been changed, so I
    > all the user directories remain.
    >
    > The problem is I can't create device files. Following a boot -r, there
    > are entries in /dev/dsk for controllers 0 and 1, but not and 3. The
    > disks and partitions on the disks on c3 are visible to format. Booting
    > from CD I can mount them. But I can't mount them if I boot from disk,
    > as I don't have any device files, and seem unable to create them with
    > a boot -r.
    >
    > Any suggestions - other than to keep better backups!
    >
    > Dave Kirkby

    Dave, Have you checked that /etc/path_to_inst looks OK? I'm just
    digging..... ;^}


  • Next message: Beardy: "Re: Help - I can't create device files."

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