# Gentoo folder shares disappeared after reboot

## TheDenimDuke

Hi all,

I've inherited a Gentoo server with Windows clients connected which is having chronic palpitations.  It generated I/O errors on the file shares and kicked all the clients off.  Unable to open anything, unable to save anything.  After a reboot and fsck it started back up but the file shares are not active.  I can SSH into the server and see the data, but cannot connect any Windows client via server name or ip.  I'm a Linux n00b and I didn't set this server up so I'm not sure where I should be checking?  Started with NFS and am getting a 'permission denied' as root when I try /etc/init.d/nfs start.  Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks.

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## Buffoon

You should boot from CD/USB and run fsck on all volumes. I suspect the hard drive might be dying, so running smartctl tests is in order, too. NFS is unlikely used to serve Windows clients.

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## TheDenimDuke

Thanks.  Will do.  The disks are dying, and this server is supposed to be decommissioned.  I have most of the data off the server already, but there is some more to get.  Any other ideas about what services I should be checking to get the shares operating again very temporarily?

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## pilla

Can you just clone the disks to sane ones and then work with then? Making anything even temporary in dying hardware seems to be a lost cause.

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## TheDenimDuke

Thanks Pilla.  When I say temporary, I have about 400GB of archival data left to retrieve from the server.  It's operational and everything seems to be working, but the folder shares aren't active for the Windows clients to connect.  If I can get the shares back online for half an hour that will do it, vs finding additional disks to clone onto.  I don't need to worry about the server after that.  Are there any things I can review to get the shares operational?  Thanks again.

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## pilla

TheDenimDuke, how about booting from a Live CD/DVD/USB, mounting the drive and then configuring it to be accessible from your Live setup? Having root in a sane Live will be one thing less to worry about. There are some Live USB images that you can even install new packages and change configurations on the go and keep them throughout reboots.

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## Syl20

The more the disks work, the more they will die quickly. Booting from a live CD/USB is a safe choice.

If you want to recover your data, stop immediately working on the server, plug an additional disk (internal or external, no matter) with sufficiently free space it, boot on a live CD/USB, and copy your data from the dying disks to the empty one. You can use several commands like 'cp' or 'rsync' (a better choice, easier to use).

Once your data copied at least one time (the minimum should be two, even three, if these data are important), then you can do all you want with the server.

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