Re: Help - I can't create device files.
From: Dr. David Kirkby (drkirkby_at_ntlworld.com)
Date: 10/27/03
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Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 14:10:09 +0000
Ben wrote:
>
> "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.
> > Dave Kirkby
>
> Dave--
>
> Not to rub salt in the wound but see the manpage 'devfsadm' for doing
> what you were trying to do. Starting with Solaris 7, 'devfsadm'
> replaced the former multi-command management of /dev and /devices. It
> should help get you back on your feet, too.
>
> Since it sounds as though you've got a bootable system, see the manpage
> and try running:
>
> # devfsadm -c disk -Csv
>
Ben,
I've already tried devfsadm without success, both in an attempt to
remove what I felt was the unneeded (given there are only 4
controllers) /dev/dsk/c5* entries and to re-create them. I had not
however looked at using the -r option to boot from CD and fill in the
device files that way. It would have been a lot less hassle that
re-installing a basic system.
Once you made me realise the potential usefulness of the -r option to
change the effective root directory where the device files are put, I
did something like the following:
OK> boot cdrom
# newfs /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s0 // make a new root fs on the disk.
# mkdir /tmp/a
# mount /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s0 /tmp/a
# cd /tmp/a
# ufsrestore r // restore from tape
# devfsadm -r /tmp/a
(this issues warning about not being able to update /etc/path_to_inst,
since that's on a read-only file system. One might have expected given
there's an option to put the device files other than on the root
directory, it might be able to do likewise with the /etc/path_to_inst.
I see the -r optoin in the man page but admit I took little notice of
it. But
I've since tried it and don't seem to be able to do anything useful
with it.
I have just done the following without success.
0) run probe-scsi-all to confirm all the disks are visible. All are.
1) boot from cdrom.
2) run newfs on /, /usr and /var, as those where the 3 file system
that got changed during my unsuccessful attempts to clear the problem
by doing a minimal install and restoring the rest from tape.
3) mounted each /, /usr and /var, and restored each from tape -
remember the /devices would not be correct on /, but everything else
should be 100% okay.
4) with the root disk /etc/dsk/c0t0d0s0 mounted on /tmp/a, run
# devfsadm -r /tmp/a
5) Edited /etc/vfstab so not attempt to mount the external disks until
I have confirmed the device files were present.
6) Run format to confirm the disk were seen by format and their
partitions looked okay.
7) # reboot --r
During the boot -r process, there was the usual messages about
creating files in /devices and /dev.
At the end of it, the system came with no problem (a report of a
missing /var/log/syslog file which I can't explain), but other than
that the reboot was 100% clean.
But there are still no device files for the disks on controller's 2 or
3. I have during this been able to access the tape drive which is also
on the same dual SCSI card as the external disks. The tape is however
on one of the channels and the disks on another.
One thing I did notice, which is a bit worrying (but is perhaps
perfectly normal), is that when booting from CD-ROM the devices files
created on /root are only for the internal controller. Perhaps the
first stages of a boot from CD don't create device files for other
controllers. However, if I attempt to install from CD-ROM, it does
eventually pick up the external disk and can see their contents.
Any more ideas ?? I'm running out.
I'm just about to consider doing a full install from CD and hoping
that creates the device files (it gives me the option of preserving
data on those disks, so it must be seeing them), then just manually
restoring files such as /etc/hosts and any other obvious candidates
from tape. However, that is going to be a painfully slow process.
I'm not in a desperate hurry to sort this out, as none of the external
disks have anything of critical importance. I had set the system up so
it was usable with just the internal disks, but clearly with something
like 50 Gb of data sitting on these external disks, I'd like to find a
way of getting it back.
I've just noticed something else too - xntpd won't start
# cd /etc/init.d
# ./xntpd start
/dev/fd/4: /dev/fd/4: cannot open
I can however set the time correctly using /usr/sbin/ntpdate
Seems the problem is not only affecting my disks.
dave
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