From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Dec 1 13:15:34 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F2A7616A420 for ; Sat, 1 Dec 2007 13:15:33 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from erikt@midgard.homeip.net) Received: from ch-smtp01.sth.basefarm.net (ch-smtp01.sth.basefarm.net [80.76.149.212]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B6ED613C458 for ; Sat, 1 Dec 2007 13:15:33 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from erikt@midgard.homeip.net) Received: from c83-253-25-183.bredband.comhem.se ([83.253.25.183]:61593 helo=falcon.midgard.homeip.net) by ch-smtp01.sth.basefarm.net with esmtp (Exim 4.68) (envelope-from ) id 1IySBr-0002le-5g for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:15:31 +0100 Received: (qmail 15687 invoked from network); 1 Dec 2007 14:15:26 +0100 Received: from owl.midgard.homeip.net (10.1.5.7) by falcon.midgard.homeip.net with ESMTP; 1 Dec 2007 14:15:26 +0100 Received: (qmail 32933 invoked by uid 1001); 1 Dec 2007 14:15:26 +0100 Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 14:15:26 +0100 From: Erik Trulsson To: John Murphy Message-ID: <20071201131526.GA32885@owl.midgard.homeip.net> Mail-Followup-To: John Murphy , "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" References: <20071201044427.38bd2c84@asus.freeode.co.uk> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20071201044427.38bd2c84@asus.freeode.co.uk> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.16 (2007-06-09) X-Originating-IP: 83.253.25.183 X-Scan-Result: No virus found in message 1IySBr-0002le-5g. X-Scan-Signature: ch-smtp01.sth.basefarm.net 1IySBr-0002le-5g 748153610c1d8d31aee8a415a01a9536 Cc: "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" Subject: Re: What's the point of the shell choice in single user mode? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:15:34 -0000 On Sat, Dec 01, 2007 at 04:44:27AM +0000, John Murphy wrote: > I've just successfully done the world and kernel upgrade from 7 beta2 > to beta3. I've always had a mergemaster phobia, but it didn't seem too > bad this time. I thought I'd broken it after choosing /bin/tcsh as my > shell in single user mode. It grumbled about termcap (I think) and > then gave me a "simple shell" with a % prompt. > > fsck and mount were unknown commands and even though I could change > directory to /usr or /home they were (apparently) empty! Scary! > I now realise it was because they were not mounted of course. > > I'll know to always accept the suggested /bin/sh in future, but I was > wondering if the only reason a choice of a different shell is offered > is to scare the unwary. On possible scenario is that /bin/sh has - somehow - been corrupted, deleted or otherwise made unusable. In that situation it is very nice to be able to choose some other shell so you can at least try to fix the problem. -- Erik Trulsson ertr1013@student.uu.se