RE: [cobalt-users] Urgent - RAQ3 in constant "Checking Disk"

["Christina Blenk" <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Update on this issue -

I had to call the $95 tech support - I was in grave need.  I got the correct
serial cable, hooked it to my Win98 laptop and used TeraTerm to telnet to
the RAQ3.  Was able to see the boot up messages and where the error is - we
need to manually run fsck on /dev/hda4.  OK, that means press the space bar
at boot up to go into the special mode for this thing.  I can't get the
system to recognize anything I send it via a keyboard.  I've tried my Win98
laptop with two different Telnet programs, both of my Win2000 servers
running various telnet programs with various settings (Vt100, Vt220, ANSI,
etc.)  All the same.  I can press that space bar until I'm bruised, but the
message never gets across.  It also asks for the admin password to do maint.
at the then of the process, but the password never makes it over.

I've even bought another serial cable.  No pin sex change adapters.  Could
the RAQ be able to display the entire boot process via Telnet, but not be
able to accept commands? Or am I just not getting something with the Telnet
process (possible)?

With local echo on, I can at least see what I'm typing, but still nothing.

Any ideas, or do you think that this is an issue with the RAQ side of the
Telnet connection?

They have "escalated" me, but I won't hear back from tech support until
tomorrow late morning.  I'd like to solve this by then.  Thank you for your
help!

Christina

-----Original Message-----
From: cobalt-users-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:cobalt-users-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Nico Meijer
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2001 5:29 PM
To: cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [cobalt-users] Urgent - RAQ3 in constant "Checking Disk"


Hi Christina,

> We have a power outage last night and instead of rebooting like usual, the
> RAQ has been "checking disk" for over 7 hours.  We have turned the machine
> off and let it wait until restarting again.  It goes through the initial
> startup, gets to checking disk and then stalls there.  I can't telnet to
it
> directly, so I'm not sure what else to do!

Somehow, the machine hasn't been able to boot into the operating system, so
*any* service (web, telnet, ftp, ssh) will be unavailable to you. Go get
your serial cable!

> This is a web server and we are now dealing with angry clients - ideas?

Two things, in random order:

1) roll out your backups onto another server/other servers and get those DNS
changes done fast.
2) connect to the RaQ with a serial cable using your favorite computer.
Hyperterminal will do fine if you run Wintendo 95/98. You should set the com
settings to 115200,8,N,1. That is: IIRC, do a search in the archives, the
answer is there. Before you get any info on your screen, you may want to
reboot te RaQ again (careful!), or you might have to hit the return key to
get some data on screen.

Perhaps it is wise to reboot the RaQ anyhow with the cable connection on, a
terminal program with a nice long history (1000> lines?) and post what you
cut'n'paste from the terminal here.

I am not a
"serial-cable-specialist-so-what-if-my-machine-is-down-i'll-just-fix-that-wi
th-some-fsck" type of guy (although I have done it), but my assumption is
others are way, way more experienced than I am and could be of assistance.

Hope to have provided at least *some* pointers... Nico

P.S. Once the sites are back up, deal with the clients. Don't worry about
them now, but be honest with them at all times.

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