<kfogel> Just power-cycled trilussa, as it was totally unresponsive at
the console (though it was still on).
<kfogel> It came up, and brought me to a login prompt. There was one
error very early in bootup: it said "Mounting local
filesystems: failed!" in red, but then everything else seemed
to go okay.
<kfogel> I haven't logged in on the console yet.
<kfogel> (I let it boot into the same default kernel, btw.)
<kfogel> I can't ping nor ssh into trilussa, though.
<kfogel> I'll go try to log in at console.
<kfogel> Hmmm.
<kfogel> It detects the USB keyboard being plugged in and out --
messages about USB device activity flash on the screen.
<kfogel> But, it totally doesn't seem to hear the keyboard. No
reaction at all to any keystrokes.
<maxb> kfogel: Hi.
<kfogel> hi
<kfogel> did you see above?
<maxb> yes
<kfogel> So I'm trying to decide: reboot with USB stick now?
<kfogel> When you installed the new kernel, it should have been
bootable under the same name as the old one, right?
<maxb> Yes.
<kfogel> IOW, I probably just booted your new kernel?
<maxb> It was just a change in the debian release, not in the kernel
version at all!
<kfogel> Oh, the kernel didn't change?
<maxb> Not the version - just the Debian packaging of it
<kfogel> What I mean is, the kernel got reinstalled, sorry.
<kfogel> And is probably not byte-for-byte the same as the old one,
version number notwithstanding.
<maxb> I assume the USB keyboard worked in the past?
<kfogel> I'm just trying to figure out what is true here and what is
not :-).
<maxb> And it has no other keyboard interface?
<kfogel> Yeah, we used the USB keyboard before.
<kfogel> Well, there's a serial connection, I could try that.
<kfogel> ooops
<maxb> Is the bootloader aware of the USB keyboard?
<kfogel> need 10 minutes, sorry for the interruption
<kfogel> (back as SOON as can, sorry for delay)
<kfogel> maybe less than 10
<maxb> no problem,
<maxb> I'm at home now,
<maxb> my time is flexible
<maxb> Wow, sanpietro can be perverse at times :-) 'polson' is not
a member of the 'polson' group, nor is 'msussman' a member of
the 'msussman' group.
<kfogel> back
<kfogel> okay, so what do you recommend?
<kfogel> Try booting from USB stick?
<kfogel> One detail: the USB keyboard has a forwarding USB port where
a mouse could go in. That mouse is not plugged in; I can't
remember if it was before, when we were using the kbd
successfully.
<kfogel> Hmmm.
<kfogel> I'm going to try connecting the serial console first, how
does that sound?
<kfogel> Maybe I can log in that way. It would be nice to log in
while the current kernel is active.
<maxb> If you have something you can try on the serial port, that
might work
<kfogel> aaaargh -- the serial console's cable is wide-serial (which
is right for sp). Hunting for an adapter to turn it into
narrow (9-pin?) serial now.
<maxb> However, do we know that there is a getty on the serial line?
<kfogel> No, we've never tried that with trilussa before, so we don't
know.
<maxb> If not, booting the keychain might get you a shell from which
the hard disc can be mounted
<maxb> "Mounting local filesystems: failed!" sounds a bit scary
<maxb> I don't suppose there was any info on why it failed?
<kfogel> No, no more info -- that was the only failure-looking thing I
saw, and it scrolled off the screen eventually.
<kfogel> So, no luck on the 9-pin adaptor.
<kfogel> I think it's boot-from-usb-stick now.
<maxb> Where was that failure? During the kernel boot?
<maxb> Or after the boot had passed to initscripts?
<maxb> initscripts, I presume.
<kfogel> If it was in initscripts, it was *very* early.
<kfogel> Btw, got to boot prompt from USB stick. Now it's saying
"Press F1 for help, or ENTER to boot:"
<kfogel> should I type 'rescue' or anything, or just hit ENTER?
<maxb> That being a linux bootloader prompt
<maxb> ?
<kfogel> It's the Debian installer prompt.
<kfogel> The USB stick is a rescue disk, basically.
<maxb> F1, I guess, see what options it has
<kfogel> okay
<kfogel> some delay as my IRC terminal is not in the same room as
trilussa. Running back and forth here :-).
<kfogel> oh dude. there are a LOT of help screens available now --
I'm in the help tree.
<kfogel> I think it will be better for us to outline what our plan is,
and I'll figure out how to make that happen.
<kfogel> What would we like to do?
<kreig `> did yall blow it up yet?
<maxb> Try to get a shell, I think, see if there is anything we can
diagnose on the system.
<kfogel> kreig`: hey, yeah, sort of.
<maxb> If all else fails, attempt a reinstall
<kreig `> bizzare
<kfogel> maxb: let me summarize for kreig`, one sec
<maxb> I've got a Debian CD booting in a spare machine so I can see
vaguely what you are seeing now