I just destroyed my system. PLEASE help

[sofasurfer]

In trying to get my backup ssd linked to my /media I think I just deleted my whole home folder and glitched the root. I loaded a mint live dvd and the file system shows I still have most of my system but that home is EMPTY!!! So I went to gparted and it shows that my home partition is still full. So, how can I face this situation?

 

[Condobloke]

Do you have Timeshift set up ?

 

[APTI]

looks like you done messed it up. I would take any data you can get your hands on and then reinstall from scratch.

 

[KGIII]

Heh... The prior responses are in order of what I'd suggest.

Restore from backups. If that doesn't work, save what data you can and do a clean install. It doesn't take that long, especially if you have some data to work with.

Do you have Timeshift set up ?

To that end, you can use the live DVD you mentioned to restore from Timeshift.

 

[sofasurfer]

My system that I need restored is non-functional. I am running on a live dvd right now and it does have timeshift. I have a smaller ssd that I can set up a new ubuntu on if needed.

 

[KGIII]

Using the live instance you're booted to right now to open Timeshift, point it at the directory where you saved the Timeshift snapshots, and restore from there.

That's your best shot at this moment in time.

 

[sofasurfer]

Heh... The prior responses are in order of what I'd suggest.

Restore from backups. If that doesn't work, save what data you can and do a clean install. It doesn't take that long, especially if you have some data to work with.



To that end, you can use the live DVD you mentioned to restore from Timeshift.

I cannot get to any data on my home folder even though gparted says it is there, I need to save my home files. The rest of the system can be redone.

 

[osprey]

In trying to get my backup ssd linked to my /media I think I just deleted my whole home folder and glitched the root. I loaded a mint live dvd and the file system shows I still have most of my system but that home is EMPTY!!! So I went to gparted and it shows that my home partition is still full. So, how can I face this situation?

Here's a thread on recovery of files: https://www.linux.org/threads/how-do-i-recover-deleted-files.57013/ which may be helpful.

The first thing you might consider is to copy the whole /home partition to an external source. That can be done with the dd command from a live disk. You would need an external drive or a usb which could accommodate the whole /home partition.

It's best not to run the troublesome system itself because any changes it makes can alter the filesystem and it's best to keep it in as close to the state in which it first became inaccessible as you try and rescue the /home partition.

With a copy of the /home partition you would normally be able to mount it and use the tools in the link above to try and restore files. By working on the copy, and keeping the original partition inert, it leaves the original partition still available for later work if work on the copy fails.

 

[sofasurfer]

Using the live instance you're booted to right now to open Timeshift, point it at the directory where you saved the Timeshift snapshots, and restore from there.

That's your best shot at this moment in time.

I do not have timeshift backups. They are backintime backups. I would have to setup a new installation to use it I think.

 

[sofasurfer]

I have to go away for a couple hours now. Later I will try to figure out how to use dd.

 

[PuppyHome]

There is another way to save your files in your home directory IFF they are indeed still there:

1: Download the EasyOS img. file using the Mint Live CD.

2: Use Mint's native USB Image Writer to burn the img. file to an USB drive.

3: Start your computer from that USB drive (you may have to tweak the BIOS in order to do so).

4: When EasyOS is up and running select the drive on the computer, navigate to the internal drive and find your home directory.
IFF there are still files there you will be able to copy them to any other location as well as the USB drive that is running EasyOS. (Provided there is enough space.)

In the end you might have to reinstall your system since it's broken but at least you will have your files back. Provided they are still there of course.

 

[tinfoil-hat]

There is another way to save your files in your home directory IFF they are indeed still there:

1: Download the EasyOS img. file using the Mint Live CD.

2: Use Mint's native USB Image Writer to burn the img. file to an USB drive.

3: Start your computer from that USB drive (you may have to tweak the BIOS in order to do so).

4: When EasyOS is up and running select the drive on the computer, navigate to the internal drive and find your home directory.
IFF there are still files there you will be able to copy them to any other location as well as the USB drive that is running EasyOS. (Provided there is enough space.)

In the end you might have to reinstall your system since it's broken but at least you will have your files back. Provided they are still there of course.

what exactly is EasyOS?

 

[PuppyHome]

what exactly is EasyOS?

It is a member of the Puppy Linux family. It is a highly versatile OS designed to run from a USB drive as most Pups are. It is security orientated and has tons of features.
It will also be very helpful as a rescue disc especially for predicaments the OP is experiencing right now.

Read this.

 

[tinfoil-hat]

It is a member of the Puppy Linux family. It is a highly versatile OS designed to run from a USB drive as most Pups are. It is security orientated and has tons of features.
It will also be very helpful as a rescue disc especially for predicaments the OP is experiencing right now.

Read this.

thank you, never heard about it

 

[KGIII]

I would have to setup a new installation to use it I think.

You can install software in the live instance you're running from DVD. So, you can install that software and restore with it.

Even though it's live, you can still install software. It's just installed in RAM.

 

[Trml]

4: When EasyOS is up and running select the drive on the computer, navigate to the internal drive and find your home directory.
IFF there are still files there you will be able to copy them to any other location as well as the USB drive that is running EasyOS. (Provided there is enough space.)

I'm sorry but to me this does read like it mounts the internal drive regularly (rw). As @osprey detailed above, it is very important not to mount a damaged/corrupted/half-deleted filesystem like that.

Whatever is used as emergency usb boot (mint, easyos, etc), make sure the internal filesystem is not mounted first by looking at the output of

lsblk

If decided to have a look, at least mount it manually read-only, e.g.

mount -o ro /dev/sd<homepartition>

before doing anything.

To use dd, mounting the partition is counter-productive. Just make sure to have enough free space on another drive to clone the full partition first. A simple
dd if=/dev/sd<homepartition> of=/mnt (or media)/savelocation/homeclone.img
should do it.

Once it completes, you could run losetup --find --show /mnt (or media)/homeclone.img, look at lsblk again to see it, mount /dev/loop0(or another number) /mnt, then have a look at what you see in /mnt

 

[sofasurfer]

First thing I will do is disconnect my drives. Then I will create a new ubuntu installation on an older small ssd. Then I will install foxclone and make a clone of my broken system on a new ssd.
In the meantime tell me if this sounds like a good start to you.

 

[bob466]

You can boot to the Mint live session...mount your internal Drive then plug in a Flash Drive and copy files across.

If as you say you've deleted your Home folder then it's gone. You should at all times have a system backup for times just like this...might want to look at Foxclone or Redorescue.

 

[theLegionWithin]

looks like you done messed it up. I would take any data you can get your hands on and then reinstall from scratch.

yep. just about everyone borks a few installs. it's basically a merit badge