[Solved] Boot problem: /etc/init.d/rc not found

[.ee]

After using the latest Mint for some time I run into the problem I cannot cope with:

the boot process interupts with the last message

exec: 8: /etc/init.d/rc: not found
init: rc2 main process (number) terminated with status 2

I admit that I was tweaking the system a little but I cannot tel what exactly I have done.

Of course, I can copy the data to another disk or partition and reinstall the system on the current one, but maybe it is not necessary?

[Husse]

You seem to have done something bad
Init.d/rc Starts/stops services on runlevel changes.
It is needed to boot
You can use the live CD to add it
I'll post the content in the code box below and you just create a file called rc
owner and group root and executable
copy it to init.d and you should be good to go
You need root privileges for this - and on the live cd you don't need a password (so it's very powerful!)

Code: Select all

#! /bin/sh
#
# rc
#
# Starts/stops services on runlevel changes.
#
# Optimization: A start script is not run when the service was already
# configured to run in the previous runlevel.  A stop script is not run
# when the the service was already configured not to run in the previous
# runlevel.
#
# Authors:
# 	Miquel van Smoorenburg <miquels@cistron.nl>
# 	Bruce Perens <Bruce@Pixar.com>

PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
export PATH

# Un-comment the following for debugging.
# debug=echo

# Specify method used to enable concurrent init.d scripts.
# Valid options are 'none' and 'shell'.
CONCURRENCY=none

# Make sure the name survive changing the argument list
scriptname="$0"

umask 022

#
# Stub to do progress bar ticks (currently just for usplash) on startup
#
startup_progress() {
    $@
    step=$(($step + $step_change))
    progress=$(($step * $progress_size / $num_steps + $first_step))
    if type usplash_write >/dev/null 2>&1; then
        usplash_write "PROGRESS $progress" || true
    fi
}

#
# Start script or program.
#
case "$CONCURRENCY" in
  none)
	startup() {
		action=$1
		shift
		scripts="$@"
		sh=sh
		# Debian Policy §9.3.1 requires .sh scripts in runlevel S to be sourced
		# However, some important packages currently contain .sh scripts
		# that do "exit" at some point, thus killing this process.  Bad!
		#[ S = "$runlevel" ] && sh=.
		for script in $scripts ; do
			case "$script" in
			  *.sh)
				if [ "." = "$sh" ] ; then
					set "$action"
					RC_SAVE_PATH="$PATH"
					startup_progress $debug . "$script"
					PATH="$RC_SAVE_PATH"
				else
					startup_progress $debug $sh "$script" $action
				fi
				;;
			  *)
				startup_progress $debug "$script" $action
				;;
			esac
		done
	}
	;;
  shell)
	startup() {
		action=$1
		shift
		scripts="$@"
		sh=sh
		# Debian Policy §9.3.1 requires .sh scripts in runlevel S to be sourced
		# However, some important packages currently contain .sh scripts
		# that do "exit" at some point, thus killing this process.  Bad!
		#[ S = "$runlevel" ] && sh=.
		backgrounded=0
		for script in $scripts ; do
			case "$script" in
			  *.sh)
				if [ "." = "$sh" ] ; then
					set "$action"
					RC_SAVE_PATH="$PATH"
					startup_progress $debug . "$script"
					PATH="$RC_SAVE_PATH"
				else
					startup_progress $debug $sh "$script" $action
				fi
				;;
			  *)
				startup_progress $debug "$script" $action &
				backgrounded=1
				;;
			esac
		done
		[ 1 = "$backgrounded" ] && wait
	}
	;;
  startpar)
	startup() {
		action=$1
		shift
		scripts="$@"
		sh=sh
		# Debian Policy §9.3.1 requires .sh scripts in runlevel S to be sourced
		# However, some important packages currently contain .sh scripts
		# that do "exit" at some point, thus killing this process.  Bad!
		#[ S = "$runlevel" ] && sh=.
		# Make sure .sh scripts are sourced in runlevel S
		if [ "." = "$sh" ] ; then
			newscripts=
			for script in $scripts ; do
				case "$script" in
				  *.sh)
					set "$action"
					RC_SAVE_PATH="$PATH"
					startup_progress $debug . "$script"
					PATH="$RC_SAVE_PATH"
					;;
				  *)
					newscripts="$newscripts $script"
					;;
				esac
			done
			scripts="$newscripts"
		fi

		# startpar is not working as it should yet [pere 2005-09-10]
		[ -n "$scripts" ] && startup_progress $debug startpar -a $action $scripts
		startup_progress $debug startpar -a $action $scripts
	}
	;;
esac

on_exit() {
    echo "error: '$scriptname' exited outside the expected code flow."
}
trap on_exit EXIT # Enable emergency handler

# Ignore CTRL-C only in this shell, so we can interrupt subprocesses.
trap ":" INT QUIT TSTP

# Should we also output to the console?
# /proc won't be mounted if we don't have an initramfs, but then we're
# dealing with custom systems so it's their own fault that they'll get
# output from rcS ;)
if grep -w -q quiet /proc/cmdline 2>/dev/null; then
    QUIET=yes
else
    QUIET=no
fi
export QUIET

# Set onlcr to avoid staircase effect.
if [ "$QUIET" != yes ]; then
    stty onlcr </dev/console >/dev/console 2>&1
fi

# Now find out what the current and what the previous runlevel are.
runlevel=$RUNLEVEL

# Get first argument. Set new runlevel to this argument.
[ "$1" != "" ] && runlevel=$1
if [ "$runlevel" = "" ]
then
	echo "Usage: $scriptname <runlevel>" >&2
	exit 1
fi
previous=$PREVLEVEL
[ "$previous" = "" ] && previous=N

export runlevel previous

if [ S = "$runlevel" ]
then
	#
	# See if system needs to be setup. This is ONLY meant to
	# be used for the initial setup after a fresh installation!
	#
	if [ -x /sbin/unconfigured.sh ]
	then
		/sbin/unconfigured.sh
	fi
fi

. /etc/default/rcS
export VERBOSE

# Is there an rc directory for this new runlevel?
if [ -d /etc/rc$runlevel.d ]
then
	# Split the progress bar into thirds
	progress_size=$((100 / 3))

	case "$runlevel" in
		0|6)
			ACTION=stop
			# Count down from 0 to -100 and use the entire bar
			first_step=0
			progress_size=100
			step_change=-1
			;;
	        S)
		        ACTION=start
			# Use 2/3 of the space
			first_step=0
			progress_size=$(($progress_size * 2))
			step_change=1
			;;
		*)
			ACTION=start
			# Begin where rcS left off and use the final 1/3 of
			# the space (by leaving progress_size unchanged)
			first_step=$(($progress_size * 2))
			step_change=1
			;;
	esac

	# Count the number of scripts we need to run (for usplash progress bar)
	num_steps=0
	for s in /etc/rc$runlevel.d/[SK]*; do
            case "${s##/etc/rc$runlevel.d/S??}" in
                gdm|xdm|kdm|ltsp-client-core|reboot|halt)
                    break
                    ;;
            esac
            num_steps=$(($num_steps + 1))
        done

        step=0

	# First, run the KILL scripts.
	if [ "$previous" != N ]
	then
		# Run all scripts with the same level in parallel
		CURLEVEL=""
		for s in /etc/rc$runlevel.d/K*
		do
			level=$(echo $s | sed 's/.*\/K\([0-9][0-9]\).*/\1/')
			if [ "$level" = "$CURLEVEL" ]
			then
				continue
			fi
			CURLEVEL=$level
			SCRIPTS=""
			for i in /etc/rc$runlevel.d/K$level*
			do
				# Check if the script is there.
				[ ! -f $i ] && continue

				#
				# Find stop script in previous runlevel but
				# no start script there.
				#
				suffix=${i#/etc/rc$runlevel.d/K[0-9][0-9]}
				previous_stop=/etc/rc$previous.d/K[0-9][0-9]$suffix
				previous_start=/etc/rc$previous.d/S[0-9][0-9]$suffix
				#
				# If there is a stop script in the previous level
				# and _no_ start script there, we don't
				# have to re-stop the service.
				#
				[ -f $previous_stop ] && [ ! -f $previous_start ] && continue

				# Stop the service.
				SCRIPTS="$SCRIPTS $i"
			done
			startup stop $SCRIPTS
		done
	fi

	# Now run the START scripts for this runlevel.
	# Run all scripts with the same level in parallel
	CURLEVEL=""
	for s in /etc/rc$runlevel.d/S*
	do
		level=$(echo $s | sed 's/.*\/S\([0-9][0-9]\).*/\1/')
		if [ "$level" = "$CURLEVEL" ]
		then
			continue
		fi
		CURLEVEL=$level
		SCRIPTS=""
		for i in /etc/rc$runlevel.d/S$level*
		do
			[ ! -f $i ] && continue

			if [ "$previous" != N ]
			then
				#
				# Find start script in previous runlevel and
				# stop script in this runlevel.
				#
				suffix=${i#/etc/rc$runlevel.d/S[0-9][0-9]}
				stop=/etc/rc$runlevel.d/K[0-9][0-9]$suffix
				previous_start=/etc/rc$previous.d/S[0-9][0-9]$suffix
				#
				# If there is a start script in the previous level
				# and _no_ stop script in this level, we don't
				# have to re-start the service.
				#
				[ -f $previous_start ] && [ ! -f $stop ] && continue
			fi
			SCRIPTS="$SCRIPTS $i"
		done
		startup $ACTION $SCRIPTS
	done
fi

if [ S = "$runlevel" ]
then
	#
	# For compatibility, run the files in /etc/rc.boot too.
	#
	[ -d /etc/rc.boot ] && run-parts /etc/rc.boot

	#
	# Finish setup if needed. The comment above about
	# /sbin/unconfigured.sh applies here as well!
	#
	if [ -x /sbin/setup.sh ]
	then
		/sbin/setup.sh
	fi
fi

trap - EXIT # Disable emergency handler

exit 0

[.ee]

Thank you VERY MUCH!

I just replaced my (corrupt?) init.d/rc file with yours and the system boots again!

Now I remember that I was actually editing rc file when "tweaking" the system.
I was trying to replace CONCURRENCY=none to CONCURRENCY=shell
as it was suggested somewhere as a way to improve boot time.
I guess that I have done a mistake when editing the file, so that
even when I returned back to CONCURRENCY=none the system did not boot.

This is where the tweak was suggested: "10 ways to make Linux boot faster."
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=387

[Husse]

10 ways to make Linux boot faster.

My reaction is - so what?
Is the only thing you do with your computer booting it?
I don't give a damn about boot time unless it is getting really slow and we start talking of minutes to boot
And then it's a more serious matter - some error....

[.ee]

I disagree. I think it is absolutely essential to reduce booting times on a reasonable hardware to 30 sec at least.

I use linux on my subnotebook, not a desktop computer. The awaiking from hibernantion takes almost the same time as the boot itself, and hibernation itself seem to be not yet polished enough - it does not seem to work reliably (on me)...

It would be sad if Mint developers would ignore the need of reducing boot times. Probably, the boot time is the main source of my dissatisfaction with linux, and the reason why I still try various other distros and tweaks, instead of just settling with Mint.

[Husse]

Interesting - I boot my fairly powerful computer and then I work on it. Even if I boot a few times every day (I don't like leaving the computer on when it's not used - but that's a matter of debate) and if it takes 30 seconds or a minute is of no concern to me
We don't disregard boot time, but we don't work on either.
Suspend/hibernation is a concern for us as many laptops use it but this is mostly a kernel thing and we don't build our own kernel - that would be a daunting task (to do it for your own use is not the same)