Furrry

The error message I now get from grub is bad file system or directory...here are my two fstabs...the first one is the fstab for hdb6 ( which I mounted for access to it from hdc ), and the second is the fstab for hdc. Does this tell you anything? [root@x1 root]# cat /mnt/hdb6/etc/fstab LABEL=/ / ext3 defaults 1 1 LABEL=/boot /boot ext3 defaults 1 2 none /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0 none /proc proc defaults 0 0 none /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0 /dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0 /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner,kudzu 0 0 /dev/hda1 /mnt/cwindows vfat auto,umask=0 0 0 /dev/hdb1 /mnt/dwindows vfat auto,umask=0 0 0 /dev/hdb5 /mnt/ewindows vfat auto,umask=0 0 0 /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom udf,iso9660 noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0 [root@x1 root]# cat /etc/fstab LABEL=/1 / ext3 defaults 1 1 LABEL=/boot1 /boot ext3 defaults 1 2 none /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0 none /proc proc defaults 0 0 none /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0 /dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0 /dev/hdb10 swap swap defaults 0 0 /dev/hdb8 swap swap defaults 0 0 /dev/hdc2 swap swap defaults 0 0 /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom udf,iso9660 noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0 /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner,kudzu 0 0 I'm at a loss where to go from here! "fsck -a" wouldn't work in this instance, would it?

Yeah, I think you are right. I had installed two different Linuxes, and that left me with two swap spaces, which GRUB recognized upon install of hdc. One of the partitions I recreated was originally a swap partition, but I didn't indicate it as such when I recreated it. I re-installed RH9 on hdc ( which is my safety drive for such occasions...I'm a newbie and I do stuff like this now and then ), using GRUB, so I can get back into Windoze on hda, now, and I told grub about hdb6, which is my main RH9 system, but it gives me an error message and won't boot...something about the root sector invalid ( that is NOT an exact quote). I can get in to hdb6, now though, through hdc to edit files. I just downloaded GRUB, thinking that the version that I have is old, but I don't really think that's the problem. I should recreate the swap space do you think? Couple of questtions more..._is there a way to increase a partition size? Also, what is /dev/shm space used for? If you can point me to a good resource for questions like this great! Thanks again. I'll post the resolution should it happen....

Thanks...I managed to boot using the RH9 disc1, in rescue mode, and got to a shell. Edited /etc/fstab to switch back to hdb11 from hdb9 ( where I had edited it to before the re-boot that has caused these problems) for a rather inconsequential mount ( storage space, really, no programs or anything), but it came up in the same way...stalls out trying to open the desktop, and then switches back to the screen where it is waiting for a login, but doesn't give me enough time to do it before it vanishes again for awhile. What do I need to edit in /etc/fstab...?Everything looks fine except for that? My fear is that there was some space reserved on one of the partitions that I deleted (so I re-installed two replacements to sneak hdb9 back up to hdb11), for example /dev/shm ( whatever that is...?) and my system hangs without it.

I decided to try and increase the size of one of my partitions, and deleted a couple that I don't use that were next to it in preparation to expanding it somehow. hdb6 was full, and hdb7 and hdb8 were empty, so I killed the latter two with fdisk. Unfortunately I didn't think far enough ahead, and now the ( rather important ) hdb9 is hdb7 and my system just keeps blinking at me in dumb amazement that I could be so short-sighted. I actually boot off of hdc, using GRUB, but it doesn't get anywhere close to opening the desktop...although it appears to be trying very hard. Is there a simple way for me to restore the old partition table, or ( preferably ) explain the new layout to hdc? I have floppy boot disc, but don't really know how to use it wisely, and I understand that the RedHat9 install CD1 has a repair function...? Thanks....( and by the way, when I get this mess fixed, how do I increase the size of a partition which is next to free space on the drive..?) Allen