grub rescue / move folder

boot grubrescue virtualization

12,634

If you have direct access to this machine (perhaps via this browser terminal popup thing (?)), you could try to load your kernel and the initramfs and boot it.

This won't bring up your system again (because the boot process doesn't only depend on /boot) but you can get into a shell.

If you have full access to GRUB this may work:

linux /<path>/boot/vmlinuz<...>
initrd /<path>/boot/initrd<...>

Because you haven't specified a root file system (via root=...) - because you currently don't have a usable one -, your system will run a busybox shell right from the initramfs.

This (initramfs) prompt is a complete shell. You need to create a folder - run mkdir /rootfs). Then you would need to mount your root file system (mount -o rw /dev/<...> /rootfs) and chroot into it (chroot /rootfs /bin/bash).

Then you can mount your other file systems (mount -a). Then you are able to do whatever you want.

Disclaimer: This is - as the question is, too - a cross-post from Super User.

12,634

Alexphys

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Alexphys over 1 year
I made a really silly

sudo mv /* /some_folder

move command on my remote server vm ubuntu 12.04

that moved my boot folder to

/home/.../somefolder/boot

I can access this folder via a browser terminal that gives me grub rescue.

How can I move the entire folder back to root location so to boot normally?

If that is impossible then if I boot from this location , will I be able to traverse to folders higher than the boot folder, as to at least copy my files via ssh?

UPDATE

I manage to do the following
```
 grub rescue> set prefix=(hd0,1)/home/path_to_boot/boot/grub
 grub rescue> set root=(hd0,1)/home/path_to_boot/
 grub rescue> insmod normal
 grub rescue> normal
```
Which launches a menu with options in choosing Ubuntu boot. I press c to enter console and get to grub mode to issue linux command.
```
grub> linux /home/path_to_boot/boot/vmlinuz-3.xx.x-67-generic
grub> initrd /home/path_to_boot/boot/initrd.img-3.xx.x-67-generic
grub> boot
```
After that I get stuck at

(initramfs)

At this point I have no access to /home folder, only to folders inside /home/path_to_boot/boot.

Any ideas how to proceed?

UPDATE 2

I contacted my servers company and got the option to boot via a live cd.

With it I did a

gksudo nautilus

And managed to copy my files.

Unfortunately though I wasn't able to save my system via grub, but so I got the files I needed.
- Tim almost 10 years
  
  If you boot via live cd, you can access the files.
- Alexphys almost 10 years
  
  @Tim True but its on a remote server and I don't have physical access to it
- Tim almost 10 years
  
  Ahh, okay. Google isn't returning anything for me. Very interesting Q btw.
Alexphys almost 10 years

I've updated my answer
YtvwlD almost 10 years

@Alexphys I'm glad that you have secured your files.
YtvwlD almost 10 years

@Alexphys But theoretically: The (initramfs) prompt is a complete shell. Then you would need to mount your root file system (mount -o remount,rw /) and your other file systems (mount -a). Then you are able to do whatever you want.
YtvwlD almost 10 years

Added the last comment to the answer and changed it.
Alexphys almost 10 years

Since I can't anymore check the way you propose as a solution, I will just upvote your answer. Thank you for your time into this.
xealits over 7 years

I wonder, can you just do mv /some_folder/* / in (initramfs) then?
YtvwlD over 7 years

@xealits Yeah, that should be possible. But you have to mount the root filesystem, before.
Solomon Ucko over 3 years

FWIW, there's also cat.