Won't boot.

[gulliver]

Clamshell iBook/10.3.8...

After various problems, I reset PRAM and NVRAM through Open Firmware... Boot to OF (Command+Option+O+F at boot-Mike)

0 > reset-nvram
Press Return
0 > reset-all
Press Return

Now won't boot past gray screen.

When booting and holding down shift-option-command-delete to cycle through the bootable disks, I get a folder with the flashing ? and then it picks up the DiskWarrior CD - but mouse freezes.

Booting again into OF, the drive is recognised by typing 0> devalias hd - but then typing mac-boot gets it stuck at the gray again.

 

[Go3iverson]

(wow, I can copy and paste right from my last post into this one and get 2 for the price of 1!)

This may work for you:

I'd boot that machine into single user mode (boot holding Apple and S keys).

First, lets check that file system...

type fsck -yf and hit return

If this comes back clean, continue on, if it says your system has been modified, type reboot, hit return and start this process over.

If this passes, type exit and hit return.

Now, lets repair permissions, which runs kinda wordy, since you have to start up some services for this to work at this point in the boot process...

type mount -uw/ and hit return
type /usr/libexec/register_mach_bootstrap_servers/etc/mach_init.d and hit return
type SystemStarter start Disks and hit return
type diskutil repairPermissions / and hit return

This will repair permissions, if you see anything worrisome, run it again, you'll only have to type that last line this time.

When done, you can type exit to boot to your GUI and test or type reboot to restart your system and boot into the gui.

 

[gulliver]

Thanks.

I hadn't thought of that - I'd had prior problems and had hence replaced the OS about 3 times in the past week (trying to eliminate an issue with updates/bad RAM/whatever) that about 5 minutes after my post I simply decided to haul it out again and start over.

By target mode I was able to run DW and then reinstall.

Thanks anyway - it's appreciated and I'll save the info for a future issue. (It expands on a post at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214.)