# RFC:  new boot menu option: "boot using /etc/fstab/fstab.bak"



## jb_fvwm2 (Dec 1, 2009)

As the title says (or similar).
I've modified fstab, accidentally putting 2 2 
as the last parameters to a non-default-mounted
FS where it should have been 0 0 
I discovered over two hours that only one of
the several live cd's could eventually mount the
root filesystem.

Today, I modified fstab putting "nodev" with
noexec, (man 8 mount, nodev is unknown) again
hosing the boot.  (per a 2003 install writeup)

```
mount -f /dev/ad1s2a /dev/fd
```
from a 6.0 live cd... and I could fix it.

Would this not make it much easier for 
everyone to have the additional option? Then
backing up fstab could be one of the first 
tasks upon a new install to make it a valid
menu choice.  

Or some other way.


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## crsd (Dec 1, 2009)

Isn't it easier to just boot to single user and edit /etc/fstab?


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## SirDice (Dec 1, 2009)

crsd said:
			
		

> Isn't it easier to just boot to single user and edit /etc/fstab?



Yep, that's how everybody's doing it 

And in case / gets borked there's always the *mountroot* option.


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## graudeejs (Dec 1, 2009)

or use fixed disk (if necessary), when you encrypt your drives.... 


anyway fstab is history.... since zfs


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## jb_fvwm2 (Dec 2, 2009)

crsd said:
			
		

> Isn't it easier to just boot to single user and edit /etc/fstab?



Maybe I did not try it because the edit was
disallowed when the faulty fstab dropped to
single user "anyway" at boot. If single user
at the menu works, now I know. ( I seem to
recall "read-only filesystem" or some such
error today.)


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## SirDice (Dec 2, 2009)

jb_fvwm2 said:
			
		

> Maybe I did not try it because the edit was
> disallowed when the faulty fstab dropped to
> single user "anyway" at boot. If single user
> at the menu works, now I know. ( I seem to
> ...



Fsck the filesystem and remount using *mount -u /* and it's writable.


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## jb_fvwm2 (Dec 2, 2009)

I put those instructions on the monitor right below
the CLI group that has 

```
swapon -a
```
as the third of five commands.  Ready for use
next time it happens.


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