The problem I posted about earlier... I think I've got a handle on it... It was a buggered boot HD.
I've reformatted the drive, and the machine seems to boot.
My problem though is the SW RAID5 array (5 250GB IDE drive) that was also on the box. In the past I have been able to just switch boot drives, reformat... the raid is found, mounted everything is hunky-dory.
This time, however, there's a problem. When all 4/5 drives are powered the machine boots, but the array isn't recognized. Each drive is still recognized as being Linux RAID drives... not unreasonble. When a fifth is added, the array is recognized but the machine seems to hang at a random point in the boot process.
Prior to reformatting the drive the array would be recognized, and the RieserFS would come back clean... All of the RAID docs I've seen presume you know how to get the machine to boot with all raid drives intact.
My questions are these:
1) am i being impatient? is the random hang occuring because the raid is trying to be reconstructed?
2) how can I get the launching of the mkraid to stop during the boot process to use the tools outlined in that most excellet RAID guide?
3) How can I get you output from what exactly is happening (that is... where is the boot log located?)
I'm being REALLY cautious because... of course... I don't have backups. I'm pretty sure the problem occured becuase the dude who did the home inspection on our house a couple of weeks ago left the furnace going full-tilt boogie on a 85 degree day (the house was well over 100 degrees inside).
I've reformatted the drive, and the machine seems to boot.
My problem though is the SW RAID5 array (5 250GB IDE drive) that was also on the box. In the past I have been able to just switch boot drives, reformat... the raid is found, mounted everything is hunky-dory.
This time, however, there's a problem. When all 4/5 drives are powered the machine boots, but the array isn't recognized. Each drive is still recognized as being Linux RAID drives... not unreasonble. When a fifth is added, the array is recognized but the machine seems to hang at a random point in the boot process.
Prior to reformatting the drive the array would be recognized, and the RieserFS would come back clean... All of the RAID docs I've seen presume you know how to get the machine to boot with all raid drives intact.
My questions are these:
1) am i being impatient? is the random hang occuring because the raid is trying to be reconstructed?
2) how can I get the launching of the mkraid to stop during the boot process to use the tools outlined in that most excellet RAID guide?
3) How can I get you output from what exactly is happening (that is... where is the boot log located?)
I'm being REALLY cautious because... of course... I don't have backups. I'm pretty sure the problem occured becuase the dude who did the home inspection on our house a couple of weeks ago left the furnace going full-tilt boogie on a 85 degree day (the house was well over 100 degrees inside).
