Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]


Groups > comp.os.linux.misc > #13197 > unrolled thread

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

Started byJeremy Nicoll - news posts <jn.nntp.scrap007@wingsandbeaks.org.uk>
First post2015-01-03 22:11 +0000
Last post2015-01-05 16:43 -0600
Articles 20 on this page of 85 — 21 participants

Back to article view | Back to comp.os.linux.misc


Contents

  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

Page 2 of 5 — ← Prev page 1 [2] 3 4 5  Next page →


#13205

FromThe Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid>
Date2015-01-04 13:33 +0000
Message-ID<m8bfg6$upp$1@news.albasani.net>
In reply to#13204
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.

Most driver cockups will allow booting in terminal mode and blacklisting 
or de-installing of the offending driver anyway.

New kernels don't *have* to be booted either. The grub gives options to 
revert to earlier ones.

Only time I restore, is during a complete distro upgrade: and then o#nly 
as a guide to enabling the new distro




-- 
Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for the 
rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge. – Erwin Knoll

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13206

FromTim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net>
Date2015-01-04 14:00 +0000
Message-ID<tktnnb-r7f.ln1@squidward.dionic.net>
In reply to#13205
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?

Or as I had with ubuntu + ZFS, deciding the hostid was broken (it was 
null) and refusing to mount any ZFS volumes.

>
> Most driver cockups will allow booting in terminal mode and blacklisting
> or de-installing of the offending driver anyway.
>
> New kernels don't *have* to be booted either. The grub gives options to
> revert to earlier ones.
>
> Only time I restore, is during a complete distro upgrade: and then o#nly
> as a guide to enabling the new distro
>
>
>
>

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13208 — Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes?

FromRobert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com>
Date2015-01-04 08:29 -0600
SubjectRe: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes?
Message-ID<ev-dnUL9U7qv0zTJnZ2dnUU7-XOdnZ2d@giganews.com>
In reply to#13206
At Sun, 04 Jan 2015 14:00:29 +0000 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?
> 
> Or as I had with ubuntu + ZFS, deciding the hostid was broken (it was 
> null) and refusing to mount any ZFS volumes.

Well, ZFS is not the default file system.  Most naive users will be using 
someting safe like ext4 and are unlikely to bugger up libc.  See my other post 
about 'developers and gurus' possibly messing with non-standard or bleeding 
edge packages.

> 
> >
> > Most driver cockups will allow booting in terminal mode and blacklisting
> > or de-installing of the offending driver anyway.
> >
> > New kernels don't *have* to be booted either. The grub gives options to
> > revert to earlier ones.
> >
> > Only time I restore, is during a complete distro upgrade: and then o#nly
> > as a guide to enabling the new distro
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
>                                                                                    

-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933
Deepwoods Software        -- Custom Software Services
http://www.deepsoft.com/  -- Linux Administration Services
heller@deepsoft.com       -- Webhosting Services
                                            

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13210 — Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes?

FromTim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net>
Date2015-01-04 15:06 +0000
SubjectRe: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes?
Message-ID<4h1onb-kih.ln1@squidward.dionic.net>
In reply to#13208
On 04/01/15 14:29, Robert Heller wrote:
> At Sun, 04 Jan 2015 14:00:29 +0000 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?
>>
>> Or as I had with ubuntu + ZFS, deciding the hostid was broken (it was
>> null) and refusing to mount any ZFS volumes.
>
> Well, ZFS is not the default file system.  Most naive users will be using
> someting safe like ext4 and are unlikely to bugger up libc.  See my other post
> about 'developers and gurus' possibly messing with non-standard or bleeding
> edge packages.

True about ZFS - it is an option.

However, the original statement was:

"Packages -  unless they mess with the kernel/drivers - don't stop the
thing booting."


Which I trivially refuted with:

"Buggering up libc?".

It's unlikely a good distro running with STABLE repos will bugger up 
libc but it remains a possibility.

Feck all use booting a kernel if you can't get userland off the ground...

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13212 — Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes?

FromRobert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com>
Date2015-01-04 09:31 -0600
SubjectRe: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes?
Message-ID<peOdnXHOEqp8wTTJnZ2dnUU7-dOdnZ2d@giganews.com>
In reply to#13210
At Sun, 04 Jan 2015 15:06:44 +0000 Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> wrote:

> 
> On 04/01/15 14:29, Robert Heller wrote:
> > At Sun, 04 Jan 2015 14:00:29 +0000 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?
> >>
> >> Or as I had with ubuntu + ZFS, deciding the hostid was broken (it was
> >> null) and refusing to mount any ZFS volumes.
> >
> > Well, ZFS is not the default file system.  Most naive users will be using
> > someting safe like ext4 and are unlikely to bugger up libc.  See my other post
> > about 'developers and gurus' possibly messing with non-standard or bleeding
> > edge packages.
> 
> True about ZFS - it is an option.

And thus something for expert use.

> 
> However, the original statement was:
> 
> "Packages -  unless they mess with the kernel/drivers - don't stop the
> thing booting."
> 
> 
> Which I trivially refuted with:
> 
> "Buggering up libc?".
> 
> It's unlikely a good distro running with STABLE repos will bugger up 
> libc but it remains a possibility.

Exactly my point... Normally, a *naive* user will be using a main stream
distro running with STABLE reposositories. And the people managing those
reposositories follow a QA process to pretty much prevent 'buggering up libc'
(or similar problems). The same cannot always be said of people running with
unstable *experimental* distros or reposositories, but usually people doing
that are developers or gurus who presumably know what they are doing and have
taken proper precautions.

> 
> Feck all use booting a kernel if you can't get userland off the ground...
>                    
> 

-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933
Deepwoods Software        -- Custom Software Services
http://www.deepsoft.com/  -- Linux Administration Services
heller@deepsoft.com       -- Webhosting Services
                    

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13216

FromAnt <ant@zimage.comANT>
Date2015-01-04 09:29 -0800
Message-ID<vOudnV52u-Lh5TTJnZ2dnUU7-fWdnZ2d@earthlink.com>
In reply to#13212
On 1/4/2015 7:31 AM, Robert Heller wrote:
...
> Exactly my point... Normally, a *naive* user will be using a main stream
> distro running with STABLE reposositories. And the people managing those
> reposositories follow a QA process to pretty much prevent 'buggering up libc'
> (or similar problems). The same cannot always be said of people running with
> unstable *experimental* distros or reposositories, but usually people doing
> that are developers or gurus who presumably know what they are doing and have
> taken proper precautions.

I used to run unstable and testing with Debian as my Linux desktop 
machine, but it was too much for me to keep up as a BUSY worker ant. 
When I did a clean installation from scratch, I went to stable. Yes, it 
is outdated (the bad side effects for those who want the newer versions) 
but dang it is so stable and rarely broken! :/
-- 
"You feel the faint grit of ants beneath your shoes, but keep on walking 
because in this world you have to decide what you're willing to kill." 
--Tony Hoagland from "Candlelight"
    /\___/\         Ant(Dude) @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
   / /\ /\ \                Ant's Quality Foraged Links: http://aqfl.net
  | |o   o| |
     \ _ /        If crediting, then use Ant nickname and AQFL URL/link.
      ( )         If e-mailing, then axe ANT from its address if needed.
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on this computer.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13223 — Re: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes?

FromTim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net>
Date2015-01-04 18:25 +0000
SubjectRe: How do home users of linux protect themselves against ill-advised changes?
Message-ID<b5donb-e3o.ln1@squidward.dionic.net>
In reply to#13212
On 04/01/15 15:31, Robert Heller wrote:

>> True about ZFS - it is an option.
>
> And thus something for expert use.
>

I will take the honourable gentleman back in time to around 2002 ish - 
when SuSe 7.2 had ReiserFS as an option for /

And one of my colleagues thought it was a Good Idea (TM) to enable it.

A few months later there was some considerable swearing from me as a 
moderate and increasing number of lab PCs failed to boot as /sbin/init 
was fucked - containing fragments of /etc/passwd and other occasionally 
recognisable files.

So another case where boot failure was possible without the kernel failing.



We are not arguing probabilities - I am merely providing a number of 
singular examples to disprove the statement that "only kernel failure 
will break the boot sequence".

I've seen as many userland failures break booting as I have kernel failures.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13218

FromWilliam Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca>
Date2015-01-04 17:56 +0000
Message-ID<m8buta$h4v$1@dont-email.me>
In reply to#13206
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. 

>
> 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) 
>
>>
>> Most driver cockups will allow booting in terminal mode and blacklisting
>> or de-installing of the offending driver anyway.
>>
>> New kernels don't *have* to be booted either. The grub gives options to
>> revert to earlier ones.
>>
>> Only time I restore, is during a complete distro upgrade: and then o#nly
>> as a guide to enabling the new distro
>>
>>
>>
>>
>

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13222

FromTim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net>
Date2015-01-04 18:20 +0000
Message-ID<4sconb-kun.ln1@squidward.dionic.net>
In reply to#13218
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.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13241

FromThe Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid>
Date2015-01-04 23:30 +0000
Message-ID<m8cie6$4t3$1@news.albasani.net>
In reply to#13222
>
> I said it was possible - in direct rebuttal to TNP's statement that only
> a broken kernel would break booting.
>
My point was that in a stable distro those  other things simply do not 
happen.

The only time the distro boys get caught out is by a 
hardware/driver/kernel combo that they weren't able to test.

The ;point being that the OP was asking the naive question,. not tge 
super in depth 'is it theoretically possible' question.

I can stop a computer booting any time. I just take a sledge hammer to 
it. Its theoretically possible after all.



-- 
Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for the 
rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge. – Erwin Knoll

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13255

FromTim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net>
Date2015-01-05 11:15 +0000
Message-ID<1b8qnb-ne9.ln1@squidward.dionic.net>
In reply to#13241
On 04/01/15 23:30, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>
>>
>> I said it was possible - in direct rebuttal to TNP's statement that only
>> a broken kernel would break booting.
>>
> My point was that in a stable distro those  other things simply do not
> happen.

I will agree if you lessen the statement to "usually do not happen" ;-)

I've had a failing SSD and many instances of ReiserFS breaking (in 2002 
ish) cause damage to /sbin/init and thus break the system - so it's more 
than a theoretical possibilty

It was of course fixable as the damage was so localised.

> The only time the distro boys get caught out is by a
> hardware/driver/kernel combo that they weren't able to test.
>
> The ;point being that the OP was asking the naive question,. not tge
> super in depth 'is it theoretically possible' question.
>
> I can stop a computer booting any time. I just take a sledge hammer to
> it. Its theoretically possible after all.
>
>
>

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13256

FromThe Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid>
Date2015-01-05 12:33 +0000
Message-ID<m8e0bo$1du$1@news.albasani.net>
In reply to#13255
On 05/01/15 11:15, Tim Watts wrote:
> On 04/01/15 23:30, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I said it was possible - in direct rebuttal to TNP's statement that only
>>> a broken kernel would break booting.
>>>
>> My point was that in a stable distro those  other things simply do not
>> happen.
>
> I will agree if you lessen the statement to "usually do not happen" ;-)
>
> I've had a failing SSD and many instances of ReiserFS breaking (in 2002
> ish) cause damage to /sbin/init and thus break the system - so it's more
> than a theoretical possibilty
>

what nooob would ever use reiserFS?

AND you have selectively quoted me. I explicitly said that reinstalling 
an OS wont fix dodgy hardware.


> It was of course fixable as the damage was so localised.
>
>> The only time the distro boys get caught out is by a
>> hardware/driver/kernel combo that they weren't able to test.
>>
>> The ;point being that the OP was asking the naive question,. not tge
>> super in depth 'is it theoretically possible' question.
>>
>> I can stop a computer booting any time. I just take a sledge hammer to
>> it. Its theoretically possible after all.
>>
>>
>>
>


-- 
Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for the 
rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge. – Erwin Knoll

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13257

FromTim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net>
Date2015-01-05 12:49 +0000
Message-ID<fsdqnb-mhd.ln1@squidward.dionic.net>
In reply to#13256
On 05/01/15 12:33, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> On 05/01/15 11:15, Tim Watts wrote:
>> On 04/01/15 23:30, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> I said it was possible - in direct rebuttal to TNP's statement that
>>>> only
>>>> a broken kernel would break booting.
>>>>
>>> My point was that in a stable distro those  other things simply do not
>>> happen.
>>
>> I will agree if you lessen the statement to "usually do not happen" ;-)
>>
>> I've had a failing SSD and many instances of ReiserFS breaking (in 2002
>> ish) cause damage to /sbin/init and thus break the system - so it's more
>> than a theoretical possibilty
>>
>
> what nooob would ever use reiserFS?

My colleague! Who then left and thus I ended up doing the swearing.

Remember, it's easy to say with hindsight, but back in 2001-2 it looked 
like a pretty decent new idea when the alternative was ext2!

> AND you have selectively quoted me. I explicitly said that reinstalling
> an OS wont fix dodgy hardware.

Did I - in that case, my apologies. I though were were talking about 
only kernel upgrades putting booting at risk?

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13258

FromThe Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid>
Date2015-01-05 13:10 +0000
Message-ID<m8e2g8$5fb$1@news.albasani.net>
In reply to#13257
On 05/01/15 12:49, Tim Watts wrote:
> On 05/01/15 12:33, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> On 05/01/15 11:15, Tim Watts wrote:
>>> On 04/01/15 23:30, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I said it was possible - in direct rebuttal to TNP's statement that
>>>>> only
>>>>> a broken kernel would break booting.
>>>>>
>>>> My point was that in a stable distro those  other things simply do not
>>>> happen.
>>>
>>> I will agree if you lessen the statement to "usually do not happen" ;-)
>>>
>>> I've had a failing SSD and many instances of ReiserFS breaking (in 2002
>>> ish) cause damage to /sbin/init and thus break the system - so it's more
>>> than a theoretical possibilty
>>>
>>
>> what nooob would ever use reiserFS?
>
> My colleague! Who then left and thus I ended up doing the swearing.
>
> Remember, it's easy to say with hindsight, but back in 2001-2 it looked
> like a pretty decent new idea when the alternative was ext2!
>
>> AND you have selectively quoted me. I explicitly said that reinstalling
>> an OS wont fix dodgy hardware.
>
> Did I - in that case, my apologies. I though were were talking about
> only kernel upgrades putting booting at risk?

Exactly. nothing to do with a dodgy SSD causing ReiserFS to be unable to 
be mountable.


-- 
Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for the 
rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge. – Erwin Knoll

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13264

FromTim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net>
Date2015-01-05 13:36 +0000
Message-ID<7kgqnb-c2f.ln1@squidward.dionic.net>
In reply to#13258
On 05/01/15 13:10, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

> Exactly. nothing to do with a dodgy SSD causing ReiserFS to be unable to
> be mountable.

ReiserFS and the SSD are unrelated. (NB not many SSDs around in 2002!)

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13288

FromJeremy Nicoll - news posts <jn.nntp.scrap007@wingsandbeaks.org.uk>
Date2015-01-05 18:56 +0000
Message-ID<mpro.nhpwm100466cv01jg@wingsandbeaks.org.uk.invalid>
In reply to#13264
Tim Watts <tw_usenet@dionic.net> wrote:

>ReiserFS and the SSD are unrelated. (NB not many SSDs around in 2002!)

We (at a UK bank) had (very expensive) 'solid state dasd' in production use
around ten years earlier than that for critical files eg the JES2 checkpoint
& systems-wide enqueue propogation.  

-- 
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

Email sent to my from-address will be deleted. Instead, please reply
to newsreplyaaa@wingsandbeaks.org.uk replacing "aaa" by "284".  

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13265

FromMarc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us>
Date2015-01-05 15:13 +0100
Message-ID<m8e666$sc4$1@news1.tnib.de>
In reply to#13256
The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>what nooob would ever use reiserFS?

ReiserFS used to be the default fs at least in some SuSE releases
during the zero years. So every noob used it.

Greetings
Marc
-- 
-------------------------------------- !! No courtesy copies, please !! -----
Marc Haber         |   " Questions are the         | Mailadresse im Header
Mannheim, Germany  |     Beginning of Wisdom "     | http://www.zugschlus.de/
Nordisch by Nature | Lt. Worf, TNG "Rightful Heir" | Fon: *49 621 72739834

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13296

FromBobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com>
Date2015-01-05 12:31 -0800
Message-ID<m8esaf$5hn$1@dont-email.me>
In reply to#13265
On 01/05/2015 06:13 AM, Marc Haber wrote:
> The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>> what nooob would ever use reiserFS?
>
> ReiserFS used to be the default fs at least in some SuSE releases
> during the zero years. So every noob used it.
>
> Greetings
> Marc
>

	Also Knoppix now wants it if you consider a Knoppix install.
Some compact distros want to see a Knoppix file system, what ever that
may be.

	bliss

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13277

Fromnotbob <notbob@nothome.com>
Date2015-01-05 16:05 +0000
Message-ID<cgvr31F41ktU3@mid.individual.net>
In reply to#13256
On 2015-01-05, The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:

> what nooob would ever use reiserFS?

I used it for yrs and am not a noob.  I bailed on rfs3 when it was
discovered that rfs would lose data over time.  

nb

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#13283

FromAragorn <thorongil@telenet.be.invalid>
Date2015-01-05 18:05 +0100
Message-ID<m8eg8r$fjc$1@dont-email.me>
In reply to#13277
On Monday 05 January 2015 17:05, notbob conveyed the following to 
comp.os.linux.misc...

> On 2015-01-05, The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> 
>> what nooob would ever use reiserFS?
> 
> I used it for yrs and am not a noob.  I bailed on rfs3 when it was
> discovered that rfs would lose data over time.

I too have used reiserfs.  As soon as it came out in Mandrake, I started 
using it, because it was the first (and at that time, the only) Linux 
filesystem with B-trees and journaling.  Later on XFS ─ which I like 
very much ─ became available, and then I started using that instead.

-- 
= Aragorn =

         http://www.linuxcounter.net - registrant #223157

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


Page 2 of 5 — ← Prev page 1 [2] 3 4 5  Next page →

Back to top | Article view | comp.os.linux.misc


csiph-web