Some help is respectfully needed here, since we would not like to risk losing recent data. We run OpenSuse on a netbook in relation to work for a charitable educational scholarships foundation with which we are involved in the Balkan region. One of us has been using OpenSUSE long enough to undertake straightforward upgrades and clean re-installs along with some command line routines if provided with clear instruction. However, having picked up whatever has proved necessary as one goes along in order to keep the system working well enough to enable us to perform the tasks we need of this as a working tool.
We have been too busy of late to fix or even get to understand the reason why some basic problem arose with the installation, resulting in an error message to the effect that the temporary file area was full, even though this was subsequently set to clear itself at start-up. This prevented booting into normal user mode, but allowed us to continue use for the time being as Root until we might have had more time to sort out the underlying problem, since the writer half-suspects that selection of a partition size on the hard disk at the time of installation proved large enough at that juncture, but then inadequate for the huge weight of unceasing OpenSUSE 12.2 (i586) update patches subsequently delivered. [Aside - Moreover, there is no neat installation choice available to a ‘normal’ non-Unix versed user primarily interested in having a reliable system as a working tool to select a lean installation which omits modules which the non-programmer/developer never needs and do not prove to be reported as essential related dependency files should one attempt to uninstall apparent superfluous clutter!]
However, before time allowed rectification (which might have necessitated setting a whole day free of other priorities to concentrate fully on starting over with a clean reinstallation) the system boot now stalls with no login screen or entry field now appearing – even when selecting Failsafe/Command line mode, when ending with repeating lines 43 to 56, each denoting ‘write error… no space left on device’ (or otherwise at the point of starting Firewall2 phase2 and the xinet daemon – depending on whichever other start-up option is selected). The screen ultimately blanks and cannot be reactivated.
Is anyone able to state with confidence what might be the most sensible/ most hazard-free strategy, possibly using the 12.2 i586 .iso installation DVD to regain access, sufficient to back-up the most recent data onto an external USB drive and then sort out things from there?
1: Boot from a live CD or similar, or boot into rescue mode in the install DVD.
2: Run “fsck” on the root partition for your installed linux. For example
# fsck /dev/sda3
but you will have to find out whether it really is “/dev/sda3”. Substitute the correct device name.
3: Mount that root partition
# mount "/dev/sda3" /mnt
Again, first check that you have the correct device.
4: Delete the content of /tmp
# cd /mnt/tmp && rm -rf *
Then try booting into your system. With a little luck, that might have cleared up enough space to be able to login and then do some additional cleaning up to free disk space.
First, please try to limit your writings to the issues you’re experiencing. All of us here are supporting others on a voluntary basis, in our spare time. If we have to read background stories, to filter the problem and the necessary info this would be almost impossible.
On the issue: my bet is that the temporary folders are flooded.
Question: can you boot to a konsole login prompt? If so, do this:
At the login prompt, login with username and password you use to logon to the desktop, and do
su -c yast
You’ll see Yast in it’s ncurses interface, use the arrow and Tab key to navigate.
Go System - Sysconfig editor, then Search
Search for “CLEAR_TMP”, yast will return a single key, CLEAR_TMP_DIRS_AT_BOOTUP, change it’s value to “yes”.
Save by pressing OK, reboot and report if things have improved.
Good day,
OK, thanks for wading through the verbiage; just trying to give a full picture when not quite sure what information will be most relevant in understanding the problem!
Have now tried your suggestion (for which thanks), but with no difference made since the system (when previously running) had in any case already been set in YaST sysconfig to clear TMP at startup. As stated previously, even any attempt to boot into terminal/command mode stalls after repetitive lines:
SUSEFirewall2_Init[597] /sbin/SUSEfirewall2: line43: echo: write error: no space left on drive
" " " " " 44 " ": " " " " " "
repeating through to line 56 then back again to:
SUSEFirewall2_Setup[818] /sbin/SUSEfirewall2: line43: echo: write error: no space left on drive
also likewise with repeated lines through to 56 but with the addition of:
SUSEFirewall2 /etc/sysconfig/scripts/Firewall2-batch line 63 echo no space left on drive
SUSEFirewall2 /etc/sysconfig/scripts/Firewall2-batch line 64 echo no space left on drive
whereafter the screen blanks. Key combination <Ctrl-Alt-Del> will then shut down the system again in the absence of any display.
Do you have any further suggestions?
From the inference of these error messages, it would seem as though the system might boot if the Firewall could somehow be turned off, which would present no risk since the system, is not connected to anything and does not need to be connected in order to clear some files and sort it out.
Regards
Hello,
Thanks for wading through the verbiage; just trying to give a full picture when not quite sure what information will be most relevant in understanding the problem!
No, regret that, as previously stated, I have been unsuccessful at finding any method even to boot into konsole/terminal/command mode. Any such attempt stalls after repeated warning lines of screen text produced in the boot sequence:
SUSEFirewall2_Init[597] /sbin/SUSEfirewall2: line43: echo: write error: no space left on drive
" " " " " 44 " ": " " " " " "
repeating through to line 56 then back again to:
SUSEFirewall2_Setup[818] /sbin/SUSEfirewall2: line43: echo: write error: no space left on drive
also likewise with repeated lines through to 56 but with the addition of:
SUSEFirewall2 /etc/sysconfig/scripts/Firewall2-batch line 63 echo no space left on drive
SUSEFirewall2 /etc/sysconfig/scripts/Firewall2-batch line 64 echo no space left on drive
whereafter the screen blanks. Key combination <Ctrl-Alt-Del> will then shut down the system again in the absence of any display.
In any case, the TMP folder is already cleared, as previously stated, so maybe it is what the system is attempting to write to the Firewall which is now the impediment?
What alternative strategy might then seem most appropriate?
regards
On 2013-05-26 16:06, soundesys wrote:
> SUSEFirewall2 /etc/sysconfig/scripts/Firewall2-batch
> line 63 echo no space left on drive
> SUSEFirewall2 /etc/sysconfig/scripts/Firewall2-batch
> line 64 echo no space left on drive
You obviously need to free space.
Boot with a live system, find out what is filling it, and empty it.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)