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Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes?

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From Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net>
Newsgroups comp.os.linux.misc
Subject Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes?
Date Sun, 04 Jan 2015 18:20:20 +0000
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On 04/01/15 17:56, William Unruh wrote:
> On 2015-01-04, Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> wrote:
>> On 04/01/15 13:33, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>> On 04/01/15 12:16, Richard Kettlewell wrote:
>>>> Jeremy Nicoll - news posts <jn.nntp.scrap007@wingsandbeaks.org.uk>
>>>> writes:
>>>>> How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised
>>>>> changes?
>>>>>
>>>>> What I mean is, if they install patches or some package whose
>>>>> configuration screws things up, and they then can't boot - what then?
>>>>
>>>> Restore from backup.
>>>>
>>> The question is pretty carzy to start with.
>>>
>>> Packages -  unless they mess with the kernel/drivers - don't stop the
>>> thing booting.
>>
>> Buggering up libc?
>
> But that would have come out in rudimentary testing by the distro.
> Yes, YOU could bugger up libc by your own playing around with the
> source. It is extremely doubtful the distro could.

I did not say it wasn't doubtful.

I said it was possible - in direct rebuttal to TNP's statement that only 
a broken kernel would break booting.

That's it... And it's not just the distros - and upgrade of libc that is 
broken mid progress by a power outage, full disk etc could be also at 
risk of breaking the system.

>
>>
>> Or as I had with ubuntu + ZFS, deciding the hostid was broken (it was
>> null) and refusing to mount any ZFS volumes.
>
> Unless / was zfs that should still boot, and you could remount them when
> the system came up (of course with systemd, that is not necessarily true
> anymore, unless you put "nofail" as an option for every mounted
> partition except / into /etc/fstab)

Well - the system was unusable in a normal way as /homes/ was on ZFS.

However, because I am not a complete moron, I made sure the OS itself 
was not on ZFS so recovery was reasonably straightforward once the error 
had been located.


But again, a rebuttal to "only a kernel can break booting". Nope - a 
moderate number of serious failures in userland can too.

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How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Jeremy Nicoll - news posts <jn.nntp.scrap007@wingsandbeaks.org.uk> - 2015-01-03 22:11 +0000
  Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-03 22:25 +0000
  Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Grant <omg@grrr.id.au> - 2015-01-04 09:48 +1100
  Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Jack Strangio  <jackstrangio@yahoo.com> - 2015-01-04 01:36 +0000
  Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2015-01-04 03:43 +0000
    Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Jerry Peters <jerry@example.invalid> - 2015-01-04 21:31 +0000
    Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Jeremy Nicoll - news posts <jn.nntp.scrap007@wingsandbeaks.org.uk> - 2015-01-05 18:30 +0000
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-05 19:17 +0000
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised  changes? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2015-01-05 13:48 -0600
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 21:04 +0000
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2015-01-05 13:48 -0600
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-05 21:08 +0000
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised  changes? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2015-01-05 15:23 -0600
            Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised  changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-05 21:29 +0000
              Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised  changes? Mladen Gogala <gogala.mladen@gmail.com> - 2015-01-06 01:29 +0000
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Keith Keller <kkeller-usenet@wombat.san-francisco.ca.us> - 2015-01-05 13:22 -0800
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Jerry Peters <jerry@example.invalid> - 2015-01-05 21:32 +0000
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? "J. Clarke" <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2015-03-06 01:44 -0500
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2015-03-06 16:19 +0000
  Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Richard Kettlewell <rjk@greenend.org.uk> - 2015-01-04 12:16 +0000
    Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-04 13:33 +0000
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-04 14:00 +0000
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised  changes? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2015-01-04 08:29 -0600
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised  changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-04 15:06 +0000
            Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised   changes? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2015-01-04 09:31 -0600
              Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2015-01-04 09:29 -0800
              Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised   changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-04 18:25 +0000
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2015-01-04 17:56 +0000
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-04 18:20 +0000
            Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-04 23:30 +0000
              Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 11:15 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-05 12:33 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 12:49 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-05 13:10 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 13:36 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Jeremy Nicoll - news posts <jn.nntp.scrap007@wingsandbeaks.org.uk> - 2015-01-05 18:56 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2015-01-05 15:13 +0100
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2015-01-05 12:31 -0800
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? notbob <notbob@nothome.com> - 2015-01-05 16:05 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Aragorn <thorongil@telenet.be.invalid> - 2015-01-05 18:05 +0100
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 18:12 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Aragorn <thorongil@telenet.be.invalid> - 2015-01-06 09:56 +0100
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised  changes? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2015-01-04 08:21 -0600
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised  changes? William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2015-01-04 18:04 +0000
    Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Jeremy Nicoll - news posts <jn.nntp.scrap007@wingsandbeaks.org.uk> - 2015-01-05 18:43 +0000
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2015-01-05 13:48 -0600
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Richard Kettlewell <rjk@greenend.org.uk> - 2015-01-05 19:51 +0000
  Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Johnny <johnny@invalid.net> - 2015-01-04 17:18 -0600
    Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Johnny <johnny@invalid.net> - 2015-01-04 17:26 -0600
  Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-01-04 18:57 -0500
    Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2015-01-04 16:07 -0800
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-01-04 19:57 -0500
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2015-01-05 01:01 +0000
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-01-04 23:20 -0500
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2015-01-05 06:49 +0000
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Keith Keller <kkeller-usenet@wombat.san-francisco.ca.us> - 2015-01-04 18:40 -0800
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? notbob <notbob@nothome.com> - 2015-01-05 16:02 +0000
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2015-01-05 12:42 -0800
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2015-01-06 04:08 +0000
            Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2015-01-05 22:01 -0800
              Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-06 06:59 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Aragorn <thorongil@telenet.be.invalid> - 2015-01-06 10:00 +0100
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? notbob <notbob@nothome.com> - 2015-01-06 14:59 +0000
  Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2015-01-05 14:21 +0100
    Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 13:35 +0000
      Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2015-01-05 15:14 +0100
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 14:25 +0000
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2015-01-05 16:18 +0100
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised  changes? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2015-01-05 09:35 -0600
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? notbob <notbob@nothome.com> - 2015-01-05 16:16 +0000
            Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 16:20 +0000
              Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? notbob <notbob@nothome.com> - 2015-01-05 16:50 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 18:12 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-05 19:20 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 21:05 +0000
              Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2015-01-05 23:25 +0100
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-05 22:48 +0000
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2015-01-06 19:11 +0100
                Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> - 2015-01-06 18:28 +0000
        Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2015-01-05 15:50 +0000
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Richard Kettlewell <rjk@greenend.org.uk> - 2015-01-05 16:30 +0000
            Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2015-01-05 10:51 -0600
              Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-01-05 19:20 +0000
          Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2015-01-05 23:26 +0100
            Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes? John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2015-01-05 16:43 -0600

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