Help! Lost my mount for /home - data is still there & accessible for the moment

[Grisen]

Well.

I won't go into all the details, but I messed up my system

Did a clone of my 500 gig hd to a new 1 tb drive using Acronis True Image home.  Did this once before (2 yrs ago) with no problem from a 320 to the 500.  HD has partitions for Vista factory restore, WinXP, Vista, Win7, and PCLOS home, swap, root.  They were all numbered sda 1 through 9.  Grub is bootloader, then hands off to a Win bootloader for the three windows versions.  All has worked fine for 18 months now.

The new 1 TB booted fine for a couple of days, then started giving me errors like "could not recover the file system" and with a very slow boot when I hit esc and looked at the text behind the splash screen saw it was hung up on something like "could not locate sda8" [that's swap] and "could not locate sda9" [that's root], with a 1 minute time out in parenthesis behind each of those lines. 

The old drive boots fine into PCLOS.  What I need help with is I mistakenly deleted my mount point for /home on the good 500 gig drive.  (Dont ask me how, it was stupid). 

The machine still autologs at boot to /home/Mike and my files are there, but it isn't mounted in PCC "manage partitions" and fstab and mtab look like this:

# Entry for /dev/sda9 :
UUID=562dc3b7-cd05-4856-8085-118701201bb4 / ext4 defaults 1 1
# Entry for /dev/sda6 :
UUID=DECE3062CE30355D /Windows7 ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda3 :
UUID=1C904E90904E6FF6 /Windows\040Vista ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda5 :
UUID=862A2F402A2F2D1D /Windows\040XP ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda8 :
UUID=1955e3a4-a687-4eff-a445-c94967fff8f3 swap swap defaults 0 0


/dev/sda9 / ext4 rw 0 0
none /proc proc rw 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts rw 0 0
/dev/sda6 /Windows7 fuseblk rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_permissions 0 0
/dev/sda3 /Windows\040Vista fuseblk rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_permissions 0 0
/dev/sda5 /Windows\040XP fuseblk rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_permissions 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs rw 0 0
none /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc binfmt_misc rw 0 0
sunrpc /var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs rpc_pipefs rw 0 0
nfsd /proc/fs/nfsd nfsd rw 0 0
/dev/sda7 /media/disk ext4 rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=hal 0 0


You can see that sda8 appears in mtab but not fstab.  I don't know much about these two files except that they show mount points and it looks like some permissions.  I do most mounting and partitioning using the gui in PCC. 

I would like sda8 back as /home or afraid this disk will quit soon as well and all my stuff will be gone-  pfft * *

Wish I had someone to waltz into the room and say, "Ahem, all you need to do is... let me at that keyboard!"  Don't we all.

[AS]

Hello,

The machine still autologs at boot to /home/Mike and my files are there, but it isn't mounted in PCC "manage partitions" and fstab and mtab look like this:

When you say "my files are there", do you refer to the 500 Gb Hd or to the new 1000 Gb ?

One thing is not clear from your report: did you had a separate /home partition on the 500 Gb hd ?
If your old 500 Gb hd still boot fine, the best thing you can do is to post the output of the following 3 commands:

fdisk -l
cat /etc/fstab
blkid

note1: if /dev/sda8 is a swap partition, it can't be a /home partition .....
note2: what is /dev/sda7 ? actually auto mounted under /media/disk ?

AS

[TheGhost]

Is your 1 TB drive still working, even though it might be failing?

If you boot with your Live CD, can you see the data in the 1TB drive?
If that's so, you can try simply copying the fstab and mtab files from your 1 TB to your 500 GB drive. Since you cloned it, I am assuming the partitioning order is the same?

Also, as As says, there seems to be no entry for /home either in fstab or mtab.
Please post the data that As requires, it should help.

Hope this helps.

[Grisen]

Hello,

The machine still autologs at boot to /home/Mike and my files are there, but it isn't mounted in PCC "manage partitions" and fstab and mtab look like this:

When you say "my files are there", do you refer to the 500 Gb Hd or to the new 1000 Gb ?

One thing is not clear from your report: did you had a separate /home partition on the 500 Gb hd ?
If your old 500 Gb hd still boot fine, the best thing you can do is to post the output of the following 3 commands:

fdisk -l
cat /etc/fstab
blkid

note1: if /dev/sda8 is a swap partition, it can't be a /home partition .....
note2: what is /dev/sda7 ? actually auto mounted under /media/disk ?

AS

Hey AS, thanks for your quick response.

The files are there on the 500 gig drive.

Yes, I've always had a separate /home partition.  Had it for a while on the 1 TB, too.  It was (typo in my post) sda7, now just mounted as /media/disk, but there is no mount point mentioned in PCC > manage disk partitions, and if I try to mount as /home, it warns that data will be lost.

[root@localhost mike]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x2a2808f0

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              63      128519       64228+  de  Dell Utility
/dev/sda2          128520    31599854    15735667+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3   *    31599855   230837984    99619065    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4       230837985   976768064   372965040    5  Extended
/dev/sda5       230838048   419585669    94373811    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6       419585733   696417749   138416008+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7       696417813   938147804   120864996   83  Linux
/dev/sda8       938147868   944477414     3164773+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda9       944477478   976768064    16145293+  83  Linux

[root@localhost mike]# cat /etc/fstab
# Entry for /dev/sda9 :
UUID=562dc3b7-cd05-4856-8085-118701201bb4 / ext4 defaults 1 1
# Entry for /dev/sda6 :
UUID=DECE3062CE30355D /Windows7 ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda3 :
UUID=1C904E90904E6FF6 /Windows\040Vista ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda5 :
UUID=862A2F402A2F2D1D /Windows\040XP ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda8 :
UUID=1955e3a4-a687-4eff-a445-c94967fff8f3 swap swap defaults 0 0

[root@localhost mike]# blkid
/dev/sda1: SEC_TYPE="msdos" LABEL="DellUtility" UUID="3030-3030" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sda2: LABEL="VISTARECOVERY" UUID="06E04C6CE04C6451" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda3: LABEL="VISTA" UUID="1C904E90904E6FF6" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda5: LABEL="XP" UUID="862A2F402A2F2D1D" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda6: LABEL="Windows 7" UUID="DECE3062CE30355D" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda7: UUID="61495399-6fc2-464a-9545-8e9ab676a567" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda8: UUID="1955e3a4-a687-4eff-a445-c94967fff8f3" TYPE="swap"
/dev/sda9: UUID="562dc3b7-cd05-4856-8085-118701201bb4" TYPE="ext4"

[Bald Brick]

Is your 1 TB drive still working, even though it might be failing?

If you boot with your Live CD, can you see the data in the 1TB drive?
If that's so, you can try simply copying the fstab and mtab files from your 1 TB to your 500 GB drive. Since you cloned it, I am assuming the partitioning order is the same?

Also, as As says, there seems to be no entry for /home either in fstab or mtab.
Please post the data that As requires, it should help.

Hope this helps.

Don't copy /etc/mtab. /etc/mtab is created dynamically to show how your partitions really are mounted (while /etc/fstab is editable and specifies how they should be mounted). Overwriting or editing mtab will usually not change anything but may confuse both you and your system.

(As I don't use Windows programs I don't know whether Acronis True Image Home really gives the copy of a partition the same UUID as the original. I hope it doesn't.)

[Grisen]

Is your 1 TB drive still working, even though it might be failing?

If you boot with your Live CD, can you see the data in the 1TB drive?
If that's so, you can try simply copying the fstab and mtab files from your 1 TB to your 500 GB drive. Since you cloned it, I am assuming the partitioning order is the same?

Also, as As says, there seems to be no entry for /home either in fstab or mtab.
Please post the data that As requires, it should help.

Hope this helps.

The 1 TB drive is new and in good order.  I ran fsck -f early on in dealing with this on both linux data partitions and it came back clean.  Here's where I messed up and should have asked for help sooner (it's human error).  I hooked the 1TB up using a SATA to USB rig and reformatted sde7 (E on the 1TB as USB).  My intention was to copy the files over from /home on sda7.  The blunder was that I wasn't careful, and actually first started to format sda7, but caught the error before it could be written to fstab.  So, somehow the files are still there, but with no mount point on the 500 gig, and not there on the 1TB because I did reformat sde7.  Sde7 got reformatted and then the system (typing this on it now, logged in as Mike) wouldn't let me copy files from the 500 to the 1TB.  I used Dolphin to just drag them over, but on release of the mouse, got an error message.

Sometimes we just compound our errors... and that's how I wound up with two messed up drives.

[AS]

add the following lines to your /etc/fstab: (use copy & paste)

Code:

# /dev/sda7
UUID=61495399-6fc2-464a-9545-8e9ab676a567 /home ext4 defaults 0 0

and then reboot

[Old-Polack]

Hello,

The machine still autologs at boot to /home/Mike and my files are there, but it isn't mounted in PCC "manage partitions" and fstab and mtab look like this:

When you say "my files are there", do you refer to the 500 Gb Hd or to the new 1000 Gb ?

One thing is not clear from your report: did you had a separate /home partition on the 500 Gb hd ?
If your old 500 Gb hd still boot fine, the best thing you can do is to post the output of the following 3 commands:

fdisk -l
cat /etc/fstab
blkid

note1: if /dev/sda8 is a swap partition, it can't be a /home partition .....
note2: what is /dev/sda7 ? actually auto mounted under /media/disk ?

AS

Hey AS, thanks for your quick response.

The files are there on the 500 gig drive.

Yes, I've always had a separate /home partition.  Had it for a while on the 1 TB, too.  It was (typo in my post) sda7, now just mounted as /media/disk, but there is no mount point mentioned in PCC > manage disk partitions, and if I try to mount as /home, it warns that data will be lost.

[root@localhost mike]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x2a2808f0

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              63      128519       64228+  de  Dell Utility
/dev/sda2          128520    31599854    15735667+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3   *    31599855   230837984    99619065    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4       230837985   976768064   372965040    5  Extended
/dev/sda5       230838048   419585669    94373811    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6       419585733   696417749   138416008+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7       696417813   938147804   120864996   83  Linux
/dev/sda8       938147868   944477414     3164773+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda9       944477478   976768064    16145293+  83  Linux

[root@localhost mike]# cat /etc/fstab
# Entry for /dev/sda9 :
UUID=562dc3b7-cd05-4856-8085-118701201bb4 / ext4 defaults 1 1
# Entry for /dev/sda6 :
UUID=DECE3062CE30355D /Windows7 ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda3 :
UUID=1C904E90904E6FF6 /Windows\040Vista ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda5 :
UUID=862A2F402A2F2D1D /Windows\040XP ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda8 :
UUID=1955e3a4-a687-4eff-a445-c94967fff8f3 swap swap defaults 0 0

[root@localhost mike]# blkid
/dev/sda1: SEC_TYPE="msdos" LABEL="DellUtility" UUID="3030-3030" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sda2: LABEL="VISTARECOVERY" UUID="06E04C6CE04C6451" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda3: LABEL="VISTA" UUID="1C904E90904E6FF6" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda5: LABEL="XP" UUID="862A2F402A2F2D1D" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda6: LABEL="Windows 7" UUID="DECE3062CE30355D" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda7: UUID="61495399-6fc2-464a-9545-8e9ab676a567" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda8: UUID="1955e3a4-a687-4eff-a445-c94967fff8f3" TYPE="swap"
/dev/sda9: UUID="562dc3b7-cd05-4856-8085-118701201bb4" TYPE="ext4"

Neither the fstab on the 500 GB drive nor the fstab on the 1 TB drive have an entry for mounting /dev.sda7 on /home.

Open a terminal, su to root, then try these commands.

[root@localhost ~]# mkdir -p /mnt/here              <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# mount /dev/sda7 /mnt/here            <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# ls -l /mnt/here                   <Enter>

Post the results of the last command.

[Grisen]

(As I don't use Windows programs I don't know whether Acronis True Image Home really gives the copy of a partition the same UUID as the original. I hope it doesn't.)

The Acronis True Image cloning utility resides on a linux bootable CD.  It's quite slick, and expands partitions proportional to the size of the new drive (expands Windows but not Linux).  But maybe there is a better way to clone a HDD.  Guess I'll deal with that later when the 500 gig is mounting correctly.

[Grisen]

add the following lines to your /etc/fstab: (use copy & paste)

Code:

# /dev/sda7
UUID=61495399-6fc2-464a-9545-8e9ab676a567 /home ext4 defaults 0 0

and then reboot

Done successfully.

On login, get the following error messages:

"Logging in Mike...
Cannot enter home directory using /."

(then clicking okay-)

"X Message
Kstartupconfig 4 does not exist or fails.  The error code is 3.  Check your installation."

I googled on the second error message and tried the fix from the openSuse forums here: http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/install-boot-login/452965-cannot-enter-home-directory.html

mkdir /media/home
mount /dev/sda7 /media/home

That didn't change anything and I didn't proceed further with the fixes on the above suse forum page.  Thought I'd better stick with PCLOS guides in resolving this.

[Old-Polack]

add the following lines to your /etc/fstab: (use copy & paste)

Code:

# /dev/sda7
UUID=61495399-6fc2-464a-9545-8e9ab676a567 /home ext4 defaults 0 0

and then reboot

Done successfully.

On login, get the following error messages:

"Logging in Mike...
Cannot enter home directory using /."

(then clicking okay-)

"X Message
Kstartupconfig 4 does not exist or fails.  The error code is 3.  Check your installation."

I googled on the second error message and tried the fix from the openSuse forums here: http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/install-boot-login/452965-cannot-enter-home-directory.html

mkdir /media/home
mount /dev/sda7 /media/home

That didn't change anything and I didn't proceed further with the fixes on the above suse forum page.  Thought I'd better stick with PCLOS guides in resolving this.

Comment the line you just added to your fstab, reboot, then follow the instructions from Reply #7 of this thread.

[Grisen]

add the following lines to your /etc/fstab: (use copy & paste)

Code:

# /dev/sda7
UUID=61495399-6fc2-464a-9545-8e9ab676a567 /home ext4 defaults 0 0

and then reboot

Done successfully.

On login, get the following error messages:

"Logging in Mike...
Cannot enter home directory using /."

(then clicking okay-)

"X Message
Kstartupconfig 4 does not exist or fails.  The error code is 3.  Check your installation."

I googled on the second error message and tried the fix from the openSuse forums here: http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/install-boot-login/452965-cannot-enter-home-directory.html

mkdir /media/home
mount /dev/sda7 /media/home

That didn't change anything and I didn't proceed further with the fixes on the above suse forum page.  Thought I'd better stick with PCLOS guides in resolving this.

Comment the line you just added to your fstab, reboot, then follow the instructions from Reply #7 of this thread.

Sorry, missed your post #7 as you gathered.

Okay, fstab last lines now read:
# Entry for /dev/sda7
# UUID=61495399-6fc2-464a-9545-8e9ab676a567 /home ext4 defaults 0 0

[root@localhost ~]# ls -l /mnt/here
total 20
drwx------ 26 mike mike  4096 Apr 21  2010 guest/
drwx------  2 root root 16384 Apr 21  2010 lost+found/
[root@localhost ~]#

   I don't see much data there, if I understand what you're looking for.   I do use dropbox for the most important stuff...but it would be a huge loss because I primarily use Linux on this box.

Btw, OP, you're a champ on this forum.  Where do you get all the time to put into this??  Appreciate you.

[Grisen]

Hey, it's all...  BACK !!  Everything's there and I'm typing this from /home/Mike.  (Dancing around the room)

Okay, now while I have your attention, OP  (hey, ask while the asking's good!)

If I re-connect the 1TB to SATA>USB cable, is there a way to copy the /home/Mike data to sde7?  Dragging in Dolphin didn't work before, but might now.  What would you need to see from the 1TB drive to make it functional?  Keep in mind what I did there was reformat sde7, so /home doesn't exist and is also empty.

I may have to get back to this tomorrow, but if you or someone else answers, I should be able to dialog with you tomorrow evening.

Thanks, friend!

[Grisen]

If I re-connect the 1TB to SATA>USB cable, is there a way to copy the /home/Mike data to sde7?  Dragging in Dolphin didn't work before, but might now.  What would you need to see from the 1TB drive to make it functional?  Keep in mind what I did there was reformat sde7, so /home doesn't exist and is also empty.

I guess more information is in order here.  Slipping the 1TB into the box, here's what happens.

Selecting PCLOS in grub, in verbose boot early in the process I get:
"Waiting for device sda9 to appear (timeout 1 min)
Waiting for device sda8 to appear (timeout 1 min)"

Then long wait and the lines fly by, so as best as I can tell:

"Recovery required on filesystem.
Recovery complete."

Then the same error messages as 500 gig drive:

"Logging in Mike...
Cannot enter home directory using /."

(click okay)

"X message
Kstartupconfig 4 does not exist or fails. The error code is 3. Check your installation."

I did run fsck -f earlier on, on sda9 here from the live CD and it came back with no problems.

[Grisen]

Btw sda7 /home shows mounted in PCC > manage partitions and in fstab for the 1 TB:

[root@localhost ~]# cat /etc/fstab
# Entry for /dev/sda9 :
UUID=562dc3b7-cd05-4856-8085-118701201bb4 / ext4 defaults 1 1
# Entry for /dev/sda6 :
UUID=DECE3062CE30355D /Windows7 ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda3 :
UUID=1C904E90904E6FF6 /Windows\040Vista ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda5 :
UUID=862A2F402A2F2D1D /Windows\040XP ntfs-3g defaults,umask=000 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda7 :
UUID=61495399-6fc2-464a-9545-8e9ab676a567 /home ext4 defaults 1 2
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
[root@localhost ~]#

[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x1e447eb6

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              63      305234      152586   de  Dell Utility
/dev/sda2          305235    75907124    37800945    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3   *    75907125   554579864   239336370    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4       554579865  1953520064   699470100    5  Extended
/dev/sda5       554579928  1008046619   226733346    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6      1008046683  1673169749   332561533+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7      1673169813  1914899804   120864996   83  Linux
/dev/sda8      1914899868  1921229414     3164773+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda9      1921229478  1953520064    16145293+  83  Linux
[root@localhost ~]#

[root@localhost ~]# blkid
/dev/sda1: SEC_TYPE="msdos" LABEL="DellUtility" UUID="3030-3030" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sda2: LABEL="VISTARECOVERY" UUID="06E04C6CE04C6451" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda3: LABEL="VISTA" UUID="1C904E90904E6FF6" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda5: LABEL="XP" UUID="862A2F402A2F2D1D" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda6: LABEL="Windows 7" UUID="DECE3062CE30355D" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda7: UUID="61495399-6fc2-464a-9545-8e9ab676a567" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda8: UUID="1955e3a4-a687-4eff-a445-c94967fff8f3" TYPE="swap"
/dev/sda9: UUID="562dc3b7-cd05-4856-8085-118701201bb4" TYPE="ext4"
[root@localhost ~]#

Btw, you may notice that the UUID for the entries on the TB and the 500GB drives are the same for PCLOS sda7,8,9 .  Is that a problem or probable cause-- Acronis True Image in cloning the disk copied the UUID info over and it should have been different on the new drive?  (Stab in the dark based on an earlier comment in the thread)

Also, because Acronis didn't proportionally expand the Linux partitions as it did the Windows ones, would it be possible to use GPartEd at some time and resize, borrowing from the Win7 partition?