accidentally removed the /bin folder on an ESX server

smithd · 12-30-2008, 04:57 PM

I had intended to backup the folder structure of my VMware ESX server and accidentally removed the /bin folder instead of copying it. I have an ssh session open but new sessions will not authenticate because of the files needed to do so in the /bin folder. I have the folder and all of its contents on another machine but, I don't know how to get it back to the ESX server because the mv command and others are nolonger available because they were removed with the /bin folder.

HELP please.

**wmorri** · 12-30-2008, 05:08 PM

Welcome to TSF!!

Hi,

Are you the only one that has ssh access to the server, or might there be a person that can get physical access to it. If you or someone else can get physical access to it they can find the /bin folder and move it back to the correct place. I am not quite sure what else can be done at the moment, but let me see if I can dig something up for you.

Cheers!

smithd · 12-30-2008, 05:13 PM

i can get console access to it but haven't been able to log into the server yet. it prompts me for the username and upon entering it, it just asks me for the username again instead of prompting for the password. Just to clarify, the /bin folder resides on a serparate machine now, the ESX server nolonger has it at all

**wmorri** · 12-30-2008, 06:59 PM

Hi,

Best of luck with the livecd idea, I am sure that either that will work, or contacting support will get the job done.

Cheers!

EDIT: What users don't know is that the user and I chatted online for about 1 hour working on the problem. This was the solution that he had in the beginning and was what we decided on.

lensman3 · 12-31-2008, 02:21 PM

Been there, done that!

Try the CD boot and copy all the /bin files to the other mount point. Set the correct permissions for the files and do a reboot. It should work. You might have to change the hard drives to read-write if the system boots up with the HD in read-only mode.

Another way is to pull the drive and install a minimum configuration to the new drive. Then mount the old drive under it and copy the missing files. Move the old drive back where it was and reboot.

I once deleted some of /usr/bin on a Solaris system. Luckily, there was another machine that had the same OS and we copied the files from it.

12-30-2008, 04:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
smithd Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 3 OS: linux	accidentally removed the /bin folder on an ESX server I had intended to backup the folder structure of my VMware ESX server and accidentally removed the /bin folder instead of copying it. I have an ssh session open but new sessions will not authenticate because of the files needed to do so in the /bin folder. I have the folder and all of its contents on another machine but, I don't know how to get it back to the ESX server because the mv command and others are nolonger available because they were removed with the /bin folder. HELP please.

12-30-2008, 05:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
wmorri Moderator/Fedora Amb. Join Date: May 2008 Location: /pm/etc Posts: 2,814 OS: Window 7/Fedora 10 My System	Re: accidentally removed the /bin folder on an ESX server Welcome to TSF!! Hi, Are you the only one that has ssh access to the server, or might there be a person that can get physical access to it. If you or someone else can get physical access to it they can find the /bin folder and move it back to the correct place. I am not quite sure what else can be done at the moment, but let me see if I can dig something up for you. Cheers! __________________ Linux Forever!

12-30-2008, 05:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
smithd Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 3 OS: linux	Re: accidentally removed the /bin folder on an ESX server i can get console access to it but haven't been able to log into the server yet. it prompts me for the username and upon entering it, it just asks me for the username again instead of prompting for the password. Just to clarify, the /bin folder resides on a serparate machine now, the ESX server nolonger has it at all

12-30-2008, 06:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
wmorri Moderator/Fedora Amb. Join Date: May 2008 Location: /pm/etc Posts: 2,814 OS: Window 7/Fedora 10 My System	Re: accidentally removed the /bin folder on an ESX server Hi, Best of luck with the livecd idea, I am sure that either that will work, or contacting support will get the job done. Cheers! EDIT: What users don't know is that the user and I chatted online for about 1 hour working on the problem. This was the solution that he had in the beginning and was what we decided on. __________________ Linux Forever! Last edited by wmorri; 12-31-2008 at 03:48 PM.

12-31-2008, 02:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
lensman3 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Littleton, Colorado USA Posts: 470 OS: xp 64 sp2 Fedora Core 8 (vmware xp core 8 x32) Minix	Re: accidentally removed the /bin folder on an ESX server Been there, done that! Try the CD boot and copy all the /bin files to the other mount point. Set the correct permissions for the files and do a reboot. It should work. You might have to change the hard drives to read-write if the system boots up with the HD in read-only mode. Another way is to pull the drive and install a minimum configuration to the new drive. Then mount the old drive under it and copy the missing files. Move the old drive back where it was and reboot. I once deleted some of /usr/bin on a Solaris system. Luckily, there was another machine that had the same OS and we copied the files from it.