Mount a Partition in the Linux Rescue System
For Linux Dedicated and Dynamic Cloud Server packages.
Learn how to mount your hard drive partitions when using the Linux Rescue System, so you can make changes to configuration files on your hard drive, or back up your data.
If you have a Linux VPS, you can use the Linux VPS Repair Mode instead.
When your server boots normally, your partitions are mounted automatically during startup so you have access to those files. When booting a server using the Rescue System however, the partitions are not mounted automatically. This article may be used as a genereal guide for mounting partitions, if you are not already familiar.
Step 1
Please Boot the Server Using the Linux Rescue System and then connect to the server using SSH. If network access to your server has been disabled for some reason, you will then have to connect using Serial Console Access for Dedicated Servers or VNC Console if you have a Dynamic Cloud Server.
You will also need to log in to the Rescue System as the root user. Use the randomly generated password that was provided to you in the 1&1 Control Panel when setting your system to boot into the Linux Rescue System.
Step 2
Once you are logged in to the Rescue System, type fdisk -l to list the current partition tables. In this example, the system is set up using software RAID 1 using two drives - sda and sdb. As you can see below, each of the two drives have the same partitions and then are linked together through Multiple Device Drivers and shown as md1, md5 and md6.
rescue~# fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 931.5 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x38993954
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id System
/dev/sda1 2048 8390655 8388608 4G fd Linux raid autodetect
/dev/sda2 8390656 12584959 4194304 2G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3 12584960 1940940208 144552870 925.5G fd Linux raid autodetect
Disk /dev/sdb: 931.5 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x9fabc3f6
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id System
/dev/sdb1 2048 8390655 8388608 4G fd Linux raid autodetect
/dev/sdb2 8390656 12584959 4194304 2G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb3 12584960 1940940208 144552870 925.5G fd Linux raid autodetect
Disk /dev/md3: 925.5 GiB, 993761296384 bytes, 1940940032 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk /dev/md1: 4 GiB, 4294901760 bytes, 8388480 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk /dev/mapper/vg00-usr: 5 GiB, 5368709120 bytes, 10485760 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk /dev/mapper/vg00-var: 5 GiB, 5368709120 bytes, 10485760 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk /dev/mapper/vg00-home: 5 GiB, 5368709120 bytes, 10485760 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
rescue:~# 125849591940940208 Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1217 9775521 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 1218 1461 1959930 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 1462 91201 720836550 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 1462 2678 9775521 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 2679 91201 711060966 83 Linux
rescue:~#
Disk /dev/sda: 931.5 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x38993954
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id System
/dev/sda1 2048 8390655 8388608 4G fd Linux raid autodetect
/dev/sda2 8390656 12584959 4194304 2G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3 12584960 1940940208 144552870 925.5G fd Linux raid autodetect
Disk /dev/sdb: 931.5 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x9fabc3f6
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id System
/dev/sdb1 2048 8390655 8388608 4G fd Linux raid autodetect
/dev/sdb2 8390656 12584959 4194304 2G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb3 12584960 1940940208 144552870 925.5G fd Linux raid autodetect
Disk /dev/md3: 925.5 GiB, 993761296384 bytes, 1940940032 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk /dev/md1: 4 GiB, 4294901760 bytes, 8388480 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk /dev/mapper/vg00-usr: 5 GiB, 5368709120 bytes, 10485760 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk /dev/mapper/vg00-var: 5 GiB, 5368709120 bytes, 10485760 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk /dev/mapper/vg00-home: 5 GiB, 5368709120 bytes, 10485760 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
rescue:~# 125849591940940208 Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1217 9775521 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 1218 1461 1959930 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 1462 91201 720836550 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 1462 2678 9775521 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 2679 91201 711060966 83 Linux
rescue:~#
Step 3
Type the mount command and press ENTER to view the already mounted devices. You should not see any /dev/md[], /dev/sd[] or /dev/hd[] devices listed as they are not automatically mounted by the Rescue System.
rescue:~# mount
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,qid=5,mode=620)
rescue:~#
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,qid=5,mode=620)
rescue:~#
Step 4
We will now mount the hard drive's root parition to the /mnt folder of the Rescue System.
For software RAID, type mount /dev/md1 /mnt to mount the root md partition to the /mnt folder.
For hardware RAID, type mount /dev/sda1 /mnt to mount the root sda1 partition to the /mnt folder.
For software RAID, type mount /dev/md1 /mnt to mount the root md partition to the /mnt folder.
rescue:~# mount /dev/md1 /mnt
For hardware RAID, type mount /dev/sda1 /mnt to mount the root sda1 partition to the /mnt folder.
rescue:~# mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
Step 5
Type the mount command again to verify that it has mounted correctly.
rescue:~# mount
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,qid=5,mode=620)
/dev/md1 on /mnt type ext3 (rw)
rescue:~#
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,qid=5,mode=620)
/dev/md1 on /mnt type ext3 (rw)
rescue:~#
Step 6
Type cat /mnt/etc/fstab to output the file to the screen. This is the /etc/fstab file on your hard drive that specifies which folder each partition should be mounted to. Because we are in the Rescue System and the hard drive's root partition is mounted to /mnt we reference the file as /mnt/etc/fstab.
Each /dev/md[] device will show the correct mount folder directly after. As you can see from the file, the /dev/md1 parition should be mounted to the / folder (root folder). Since we are using the Rescue System, we can not mount /dev/md1 to the / folder as the Rescue System is using the / folder. Therefore, we mounted /dev/md1 to the /mnt folder on the Rescue System and the /mnt/ folder will now essentially be the root folder for the contents of your hard drive.
For hardware RAID, the output will be similar to the image below instead.
Each /dev/md[] device will show the correct mount folder directly after. As you can see from the file, the /dev/md1 parition should be mounted to the / folder (root folder). Since we are using the Rescue System, we can not mount /dev/md1 to the / folder as the Rescue System is using the / folder. Therefore, we mounted /dev/md1 to the /mnt folder on the Rescue System and the /mnt/ folder will now essentially be the root folder for the contents of your hard drive.
rescue:~# cat /mnt/etc/fstab
/dev/md1 / ext3 defaults 1 1
/dev/sda2 none swap sw
/dev/sdb2 none swap sw
/dev/vg00/usr /usr ext4 defaults,noatime 0 2
/dev/vg00/var /var ext4 defaults,usrquota,noatime 0 2
/dev/vg00/home /home ext4 defaults,usrquota,noatime 0 2
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /tmp tmpfs defaults 00
rescue:~#
/dev/md1 / ext3 defaults 1 1
/dev/sda2 none swap sw
/dev/sdb2 none swap sw
/dev/vg00/usr /usr ext4 defaults,noatime 0 2
/dev/vg00/var /var ext4 defaults,usrquota,noatime 0 2
/dev/vg00/home /home ext4 defaults,usrquota,noatime 0 2
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /tmp tmpfs defaults 00
rescue:~#
For hardware RAID, the output will be similar to the image below instead.
rescue:~# cat /mnt/etc/fstab
/dev/sda1 / ext3 defaults,usrquota 1 1
/dev/sda2 none swap sw
/dev/sda5 /usr xfs defaults 0 2
/dev/sda6 /var xfs defaults,usrquota 0 2
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /tmp tmpfs size=1g 0 0
rescue:~#
/dev/sda1 / ext3 defaults,usrquota 1 1
/dev/sda2 none swap sw
/dev/sda5 /usr xfs defaults 0 2
/dev/sda6 /var xfs defaults,usrquota 0 2
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /tmp tmpfs size=1g 0 0
rescue:~#
Step 7
Next we will mount the other devices to the correct folders ensuring that each is preceded with /mnt as this is where we mounted the root partition of the hard drive. Use the image below for reference.
For hardware RAID, use the image below for reference instead.
rescue:~# mount /dev/vg00/usr /mnt/usr
rescue:~# mount /dev/vg00/var /mnt/var
rescue:~# mount /dev/vg00/home /mnt/home
rescue:~#
rescue:~# mount /dev/vg00/var /mnt/var
rescue:~# mount /dev/vg00/home /mnt/home
rescue:~#
For hardware RAID, use the image below for reference instead.
rescue:~# mount /dev/sda5 /mnt/usr
rescue:~# mount /dev/sda6 /mnt/var
rescue:~#
rescue:~# mount /dev/sda6 /mnt/var
rescue:~#
Step 8
You should now be able to change directories to the /mnt folder and view the entire contents of your hard drive(s)!
rescue:~# cd /mnt
rescue:~# ls
bin home lib64 opt sbin tmp vmlinuz.old
boot initrd.img lost+found proc selinux usr
dev initrd.img.old media root srv var
etc lib mnt run sys vmlinuz
rescue:~# ls
bin home lib64 opt sbin tmp vmlinuz.old
boot initrd.img lost+found proc selinux usr
dev initrd.img.old media root srv var
etc lib mnt run sys vmlinuz
For additional information, you may want to reference:
