undo rm deleteing /etc very urgent

Wade Chandler wchandler at redesetgrow.com
Sun May 9 01:32:16 UTC 2004


issa rabba' wrote:

> Dear:
> 
> Thanks for you replay, I want to ask if I can copy /etc directory from
> another server has the same FC configuration and applications?
> 
> Regards
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fedora-list-bounces at redhat.com [mailto:fedora-list-bounces at redhat.com]
> On Behalf Of Jeremy Brown
> Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2004 10:31 AM
> To: For users of Fedora Core releases
> Subject: Re: undo rm deleteing /etc very urgent
> 
> issa rabba' wrote:
> 
> 
>>Dear all:
>>
>>Please I need help, by mistake I delete /etc directory and I don't how can
> 
> I
> 
>>undo deleting /etc, I still has connection to the server, please if any one
>>can help me....
>>
>>Note: I don't have backup 4 /etc direcoty
>> 
>>
> 
> I'll go ahead and respond to your post with my very generic and 
> unhelpful response, since you're probably on a time constraint and no 
> one else seems to be answering (probably most are asleep).
> 
> My understanding is that when you delete files on most Linux 
> filesystems, they aren't actually deleted, just unlinked.  It's possible 
> to restore some or all of these files by restoring only the links (a 
> semi-trivial process, maybe).  But once you start writing data back to 
> the drive, there's probably little or no guarantee that you won't 
> overwrite some or all of the space that /etc occupied.  So my first 
> suggestion would be to try to find an undelete utility for whatever 
> filesystem /etc was stored on.  After a quick google I found this one 
> for ext2:
> 
> http://twerner.debian.net/
> 
> I make no claims as to whether or not this utility will work.  I've 
> never used it before.
> 
> If you use reiserfs or some other filesystem, you'd need to google and 
> find a different utility (assuming one exists for your FS of choice).
> 
> My other suggestion is to do what I did in the sole situation where I 
> clobbered the /etc directory of a major production machine (by 
> accidentally running "etc-update" on a Gentoo box I was supposed to help 
> administer).  And that is to grab the FC install CDs, and install and 
> configure as quickly as possible as you can on an alternative machine.  
> Most processes only read configuration files in /etc on startup, so your 
> machine with trashed /etc might even be able to stay alive while you get 
> another one together.  It's not a pretty solution, but it'll hopefully 
> minimize the damage done.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Jeremy
> 
> 
Do you have access to the physical drives and or system?

If so then put in the RH cds and start a recover session.  Then you can 
mount the physical drive into a partition and start copying and what 
ever you want to do.  If you don't have physical access to the machine 
then all I can say is get it.  You'll have to do that if it restarted 
anyways.

If you really want to save the deleted files you want to get off the 
machine ASAP.  Don't touch the drive with any applications .... period. 
  Find a utility that you think will do the trick.  Start up the system 
in recovery mode and get your utility some where you can run it....not 
onto the disk you are trying to repair.  Once you are set to go then 
mount the drive and try out a plan of action you have prepared before 
mounting.  Just don't write to the drive or you may very well say bye 
bye to the data in there (more than likely).

You can use those options or hire someone.

Hope that helps.

Wade

-- 
Wade Chandler
Red-e Set Grow, LLC
Phone: 336-777-0075 x1705
Email: wchandler at redesetgrow.com
www.redesetgrow.com






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