Re: Installed - how to configure?

[David Brownlee <abs%NetBSD.org@localhost>]

On Thu, 20 Mar 2008, Anthony Hilton wrote:

> > > Are there any other editors I can use? I'm not really comfortable with vi
> > > (I have used it a couple of times but need usage notes in front of me).
> >
> > There are other editors, but you'll need to compile them, as I don't
> > think anyone has produced packages on arm for a number of years.
>
> That is definitely for later then!

        There are a few precompiled binaries at
        ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/pkgsrc/packages/NetBSD/arm/4.0/editors/

        I would strongly recommend 15 minutes in vilearn so you're less
        likely to be "all at sea" next time you have to use vi :)

> ... when NetBSD boots into multi-user mode it gets to "starting virecover"
> and then gets stuck reporting:
>
> Postdrop: warning: mail_queue_enter: create file maildrop/97359.248: No such
> file or directory
>
> this message is repeated with different filenames until the machine is reset
> or powered off.
>
> I googled and saw others report similar and that control-c stopped the
> messages about postdrop and allowed boot to continue. Another recommendation
> was Alt-F2 to get an alternative console to work on. I find that most key
> presses generate repeated characters until Esc or Backspace are pressed -
> Control generates repeated tttttt and Alt generates repeated wwwww
>
> I think I'll try a re-install and hope it gets me back to single-user boot so
> that I can get in and edit rc.conf as necessary - including sshd. I'll also
> set up another user as a member of the wheel group so that I can attempt an
> ssh remote session.

        You should be able to tell the system to boot into single
        user mode, I'm sorry but I don't recall how to do this with
        the acorn32 bootloader offhand :/

        One variation might be to boot the install media, then exit from
        sysinst into a shell and try:

            mount /dev/wd0a /mnt
            echo virecover=NO >> /mnt/etc/rc.conf
            umount /mnt

        Which *should* mount the installed root filesystem on '/mnt' and then
        append (note the '>>') 'virecover=NO' to the end of the rc.conf file,
        after which a reboot should skip the virecover

        If that doesn't help you should be able to do the same but with
        rc_configured=NO to force the system to boot into single user mode.

--
                David/absolute       -- www.NetBSD.org: No hype required --