# [CLOSED] - SERVER DOWN hangs at different boot services

## trossachs

Due to a fault with Apache, the server cannot boot up beyond the Apache "prompt." I cannot SSH into the box. How can I prevent Apache from initializing so that the rest of the server can come online which would enable me to fix the fault?

Please help! The server was being worked on by someone else via SSH and I have had a phone call to say it is down. It is over 12 hours now!!!!

Have tried hitting "e" at the kernel prompt and adding the line "single" at the end of the kernel string as stated in some post I have just read. But it carries on booting the server to the same Apache2 prompt where it stops.

What can I type in at the "kernel" line to prevent Apache2 from starting?Last edited by trossachs on Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:38 pm; edited 6 times in total

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## magic919

This kernel line.  Do you mean a Grub prompt or something else?

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## trossachs

Yes. I need to skip the Apache2 boot service. I have started the single mode run, but the system still hangs at Apache2 before it gets to single mode. There MUST be a way to skip certain services in boot up that hang!

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## UberLord

Append this to the kernel line

softlevel=single

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## trossachs

Thanks, but now it hangs at:

```
Saving random seed  [ok]
```

... which is much further up than the Apache2 line.

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## trossachs

I also cannot find the boot CD so that I could go in and change the rc list. There MUST be a way to skip a boot process that is running. And my CD burner is broken so I can't even burn a new one!!!  :Mad: 

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## trossachs

Can nobody AT ALL help me with this? There must be a "safe mode" or something as there is with Windows. Do not put me in a position where I start to actively consider going back to M$. This is a MAJOR flaw with gentoo if I cannot stop a service that has hung in boot up. Is there some command that can be actioned. 

This server has been down for some 16 hours now and I could really do with some assistance from somebody. THERE MUST BE A WAY TO SKIP A SERVICE!!!  :Sad: 

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## UberLord

try appending this to the command line

init=/bin/bash

or

init=/bin/busybox

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## trossachs

I can get into the system now with bash. But I cannot:

```
rc-update del apache2 default
```

The system says rc-update not found, which makes sense. From where can I remove the rc scripts for Apache2? I even tried to move and remove the Apache2 script in /etc/init.d but I can't as this is a "read only system."

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## madmango

You would

init=/bin/bash on the grub line

mount -o remount,rw /

rm /etc/runlevels/default/apache

reboot

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## trossachs

Thanks guys I am in now with LiveCD and have taken all the services out of rc-update. But the system still hangs on the service previously. It seems that it will always hang on the last service. How can I tell what would be causing something like this to be happening?

Please somebody help, this is soooooo not my fault! I have a server in ruins, I still have the data on RAID01, I have been emerging stuff all night as everything seems to have reverted back to an original state. I just need the box to continue thru the boot cycle to enable me to login to it.

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## SilverOne

when you boot in from the liveCD, can you check the log in (/mnt/gentoo)/var/log/messages and see wether it logged the activity when it hung?

It almost sounds like some base package is broken.... any chance that a software update caused the problem (i.e. glibc, bash, baselayout etc)?

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## trossachs

Thanks for replaying SO. When I chroot into the box, when I emerge -s something, it says that it is not installed even though the folder in /etc is there. All night I have had to emerge glic gettext and all the ase stuff. Have also emerge Postfix, Apache2 spamd, loads of stuff.

But when I boot out of LiveCD it all hangs at the sshd prompt. Whenever I take everything out of the rc-update listing, all the services like spamd, clamd and boot, the system will simply hang at the next service up from the one that I have taken out.

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## UberLord

 *JulesF wrote:*   

> Thanks guys I am in now with LiveCD and have taken all the services out of rc-update. But the system still hangs on the service previously. It seems that it will always hang on the last service. How can I tell what would be causing something like this to be happening?

 

Sounds like it maybe this bug

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## trossachs

Have looked into messages log now and the last entry is that there was a timeout for sshd when the workstation I am loggin on tried to contact the server. It has listed the error and this workstations ip address. I dont know why the box keeps stopping at any service prior to the one that I "rc-update del" take out!

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## trossachs

Could it be that I am using a 2005 LiveCD? Because the system was built in Jan of this year using a 2004 version. Can't get into bugs.gentoo.org, server not responding... must be soooo busy!

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## trossachs

Thanks for this UL, but I have not changed anything with RC_PARALLEL_STARTUP. Do you think it could be this 1.12.0_pre1-r1 that is the problem? How so given that I did not emerge Perl prior to this fault.

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## UberLord

 *JulesF wrote:*   

> Thanks for this UL, but I have not changed anything with RC_PARALLEL_STARTUP. Do you think it could be this 1.12.0_pre1-r1 that is the problem? How so given that I did not emerge Perl prior to this fault.

 

Oh dear.

Yes, that version of baselayout is the problem.

RC_PARALLEL_STARTUP="yes" may alleviate the problem to some extent, but what you really need to do is an emerge sync and get baselayout-1.12.0_pre3-r2 which wanged it's way into ~ARCH this morning (has been p.masked and thoroughly tested)

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## trossachs

Did that last night UL and have now got 1.11.13 installed. Rebooted and prob is still same. OK changed RC_PARALLEL_STARTUP to yes in /etc/conf.d/rc and rebooted but it has made no changed. Is this system really so screwed now that we have found out the bug that was causing this prob?

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## UberLord

 *JulesF wrote:*   

> Did that last night UL and have now got 1.11.13 installed. Rebooted and prob is still same. Where would I find: RC_PARALLEL_STARTUP to set this flag to "yes" to see if this would help?

 

You find it in /etc/conf.d/rc

If that doesn't help, try baselayout-1.12.0_pre3-r2

Other than that, I have nfc as to why it ain't working for you :/

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## UberLord

Oh yeah, for things like this IRC is a better medium for solving the problem as you may get a response much much faster  :Wink: 

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## trossachs

Whats the server and room? I have unmasked sys-apps/baselayout-1.12.0_pre3-r2, but the system still shows up the 1.11.13 version. I am doing an emerge sync now to see if it will show up the new version.

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## UberLord

irc.freenode.net

#gentoo-base for baselayout related queries.

#gentoo for general support - if you can stand the noise. I can't, so you won't see me there.

#gentoo-uk - depending on the people there they will either redirect you to #gentoo or people like me will try and help

EDIT: list of Gentoo channels for future reference

http://www.gentoo.org/main/en/irc.xml

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## trossachs

Mmmmmm quite an interesting place. Have not used IRC for far too long...

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## trossachs

Server rebuilt and complete. Kernel-2.6.12-r3. Thanks so much for all your help.

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