Bug#723966: installation-reports: /root directory deleted when re-installing
Control: retitle -1 installation-reports: /root directory deleted when re-installing Hi Paul, Paul Hardy (2013-09-21): > Base System Installation Checklist: > [O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it > > Initial boot: [O] > Detect network card:[O] > Configure network: [O] > Detect CD: [O] > Load installer modules: [O] > Detect hard drives: [O] > Partition hard drives: [ ] > Install base system:[O] > Clock/timezone setup: [O] > User/password setup:[E] > Install tasks: [O] > Install boot loader:[O] > Overall install:[E] > > Comments/Problems: > > My system experienced a Linux kernel panic while compiling a source > package, after which the system would not re-boot. I re-installed > Debian using Debian's graphical installation tool. I indicated to the > installer that I wanted to leave existing files in place. Following > this, I saw that files in /home and some other directories were left > untouched (as desired), but the /root directory was completely wiped > out and replaced. The /root directory is a user directory too, albeit > for a special (super!) user. When someone indicates that they want to > preserve existing files, I think the /root files should remain intact > if the /root directory already exists on a drive, or at least move it > to /root-old or /root-bak or something like that if the installer must > create a brand new /root. sorry to hear about that. May I suggest you use the rescue mode next time anyway, instead of installing Debian over your installation? It would certainly would have been quicker to remount the correct partition(s) and fix e.g. your kernel and/or grub, than reinstalling and risking bad stuff for the existing file system(s). Mraw, KiBi. signature.asc Description: Digital signature
Bug#723966: installation-reports: /root directory deleted when re-installing
Cyril, On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 7:28 AM, Cyril Brulebois wrote: > Control: retitle -1 installation-reports: /root directory deleted when > re-installing > > Hi Paul, > > Paul Hardy (2013-09-21): > > > > Comments/Problems: > > > > My system experienced a Linux kernel panic while compiling a source > > package, after which the system would not re-boot. I re-installed > > Debian using Debian's graphical installation tool. I indicated to the > > installer that I wanted to leave existing files in place. Following > > this, I saw that files in /home and some other directories were left > > untouched (as desired), but the /root directory was completely wiped > > out and replaced > > sorry to hear about that. May I suggest you use the rescue mode next time > anyway, instead of installing Debian over your installation? It would > certainly would have been quicker to remount the correct partition(s) and > fix e.g. your kernel and/or grub, than reinstalling and risking bad stuff > for the existing file system(s). > > Mraw, > KiBi. > Thanks for the suggestion. I only re-installed the system because I was in the process of setting up a new system so I was starting almost from scratch. I could have spent more time hunting down why the system was no longer booting following a kernel panic. I had already customized things in /root though, and leaving /root intact is something that would also come up during upgrades of course. Paul Hardy
Bug#723966: installation-reports: /root directory deleted when re-installing
On Wed, Mar 5, 2014 at 8:29 AM, Paul Hardy wrote: > Cyril, > > On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 7:28 AM, Cyril Brulebois wrote: >> >> Control: retitle -1 installation-reports: /root directory deleted when >> re-installing Would it be possible to copy /root someplace temporarily during installation, for example to /home/root if /home is an available file system or even a RAM-based temporary file system (which won't help during a kernel panic)? Then after /root is re-created, files could get copied back. Alternatively, if there are files in /root maybe a warning message could be printed. I bring this up now in hopes that some change can be made in time for the buster freeze. Thank you, Paul Hardy
Bug#723966: installation-reports: /root directory deleted when re-installing
On Sat, Aug 18, 2018 at 06:52:26PM -0700, Paul Hardy wrote: > Would it be possible to copy /root someplace temporarily during > installation, for example to /home/root if /home is an available file > system or even a RAM-based temporary file system (which won't help > during a kernel panic)? Then after /root is re-created, files could > get copied back. Sure, you can do copy that yourself. You must not work as root, so /root does not contain anything useful. > Alternatively, if there are files in /root maybe a warning message > could be printed. The whole filesystem is not empty. You asked it to create a new one. Of cause it will do what you ask. Bastian -- Virtue is a relative term. -- Spock, "Friday's Child", stardate 3499.1
Bug#723966: installation-reports: /root directory deleted when re-installing
On Sun, Aug 19, 2018 at 12:57 AM, Bastian Blank wrote: > On Sat, Aug 18, 2018 at 06:52:26PM -0700, Paul Hardy wrote: >> Would it be possible to copy /root someplace temporarily during >> installation, for example to /home/root if /home is an available file >> system or even a RAM-based temporary file system (which won't help >> during a kernel panic)? Then after /root is re-created, files could >> get copied back. > > Sure, you can do copy that yourself. You must not work as root, so > /root does not contain anything useful. If Debian users "must not work as root", then disable root login the way Ubuntu does, but know that then you are going against the way Unix has existed since its beginning. >> Alternatively, if there are files in /root maybe a warning message >> could be printed. > > The whole filesystem is not empty. You asked it to create a new one. > Of cause it will do what you ask. I selected the option for the Debian installer to preserve files, not to wipe out any file system or the root home directory. That is the bug--I specifically did not ask for a new filesystem. Thanks, Paul Hardy
Processed: Bug#723966: installation-reports: /root directory deleted when re-installing
Processing control commands: > retitle -1 installation-reports: /root directory deleted when re-installing Bug #723966 [installation-reports] Debian Re-install Deletes /root Directory Changed Bug title to 'installation-reports: /root directory deleted when re-installing' from 'Debian Re-install Deletes /root Directory' -- 723966: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=723966 Debian Bug Tracking System Contact ow...@bugs.debian.org with problems -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-boot-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/handler.s.b723966.139394688428752.transcr...@bugs.debian.org
