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Date:      05 Sep 1999 19:54:37 -0700
From:      Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>
To:        freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Bizarre situation 
Message-ID:  <m3906klpg2.fsf@satellite.local.lan>

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I've managed to create somethihg of a bizarre situation with a newly
installed fbsd distribution (3.2 REALEASE) .  A boxed set  bought for
50  bucks at compUSA.

I edited the /etc/master.passwds  file by hand using "vipw" command,
to fix a users passwd.  Noticing that root had the csh shell listed, I
changed it to zsh (having installed that shell) since I am not
familiar with csh.  

Later, on reboot, I found that "zsh" is not recognized as a legit shell
so cannot get logged in as root.  Cannot su to root, from a user
account either.  I just get a message "/bin/zsh: No such file or
directory"

So am effectively locked out of root status.  Making it impossible to
correct the edited file.

Using the full manual that came with the boxed set, I find several
ways to boot in a rescue type environment.  None of them will work for
me.

One way is supposed to be from the CD with the live file system.  On
trying that approach I find the CD is for Alph architecture instead of
intel.

The boot install CD is intel.  I'm still wondering why I have a mixed
set.  As it happens the fixit.flp file is of no use to me either
since this particular machine has a broken floppy drive.

Seems there would be a way to get into root status to fix the shell
problem, but I'm not finding it.  Is there some way to get there using
the boot/install CD?  I went far enough to create a holographic shell
but there are not enough commands available to repair the file.

Can the Installed system commands be accessed in some way from the
boot/install CD?  Or is there a parameter I can insert at boot prompt
that will allow a run level 1 boot as in linux.


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