Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Posts: 2

After changing Boot Params, No Bash prompt!!

Using directions outlined here and in the FAQ, I changed my Tivos boot parameters (root=/dev/hda7 SETUP_BYPASS=1), now I no longer get the Bash Prompt.
Did I do something wrong or is this normal?
thanks
Ken

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Registered: Nov 2001
Location:
Posts: 9

I'm new at this, but I haven't read anything about the SETUP_BYPASS as a way of getting a shell. the boot param that I read about was "shondss".

If you're unit is new, and you've bypassed the setup, presumably, you might have a unit thats at version v1.3, where setting "shondss=true" as a parameter might work. However, if you're already upgraded to v2.5.1, then sadly, they've removed the shondss varable, and you'll have to connect your hard drive up to a PC and add it back to the startup files in rc.d

Jake

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Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Posts: 2

I changed the boot params:
root=/dev/hda7 SETUP_BYPASS=1
in order to bypass the Tivo Guided Setup on this unit. It has a bad modem and the lifetime service has been transferred to a new unit. I just wanted to use this damaged unit to maybe record some live TV programs. I was finally able to reset the factory password by getting a bash prompt but after I changed the boot params... I no longer get a bash prompt. I was just wondering what happened. I didn't think that by changing the boot params that the bash prompt would go away!! Was trying to find out if I somehow changed something else accidentally.
Ken

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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: edge of tomorrow
Posts: 233

quote:

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Originally posted by cpuken:
I changed the boot params:
root=/dev/hda7 SETUP_BYPASS=1
...

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Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Posts: 2

quote:

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Originally posted by embeem:
Was the root= previously set to /dev/hda7 or did you blindly copy that from the FAQ?

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Germantown, MD
Posts: 385

There are two full system partitions on your tivo, hda4, and hda7. If you *were* booting from 4, and blindly copied a 7 into the boot parms, then you're no longer booting the same system as you were before. If you added bash to /dev/hda4 - that could explain your problems.

Try setting it to hda4 instead of 7.

-Ken

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Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Posts: 2

Actually, the one thing I do remember doing is that when I had the hard drive out of Tivo and installed in the PC, I always made identical changes to hdd4 and hdd7. So if the changes I accidentally made from the PC using the serial connection and term program were only to accidentally change the boot partition, then both should have worked.
Again, I'm new at this so some of the terminology might not be correct.
When doing the changes form the serial connection, I assume that I the boot parameter chagne should be directed at: hda4 or hda7 rather then hdd4 or hdd7?

I have since moved the HD back to the PC and checked the rc.d/rc.sysinit file (after mounting hdd7) and the line of code I had added was still there "/bin/bash </dev/ttyS3 >& /dev/ttyS3 &" so I'm not sure what no bash prompt now.

I just read something from a new help/FAQ file and if I understand it correctly, I can add a bash prompt from the serial connection - diagnostic mode???
They say do the following:
.
.
2.From the diagnostic menu type ``X'' to see the extended menu.
3.Use option ``P'' to change the boot parameters.
4.The system will display your current boot parameters. You will want to append the string ``shondss=true'' to the current boot parameters. Also if you have added any other parameters you should append them also.
(I wish I had a better understanding of how to do this...)
5.For example, if your current parameters are ``root=/dev/hda7'' you will change the parameters to ``root=/dev/hda7 shondss=true''. It is very important to maintain whatever the current boot parameters in your unit are. The boot parameters can vary from unit to unit.
6.Type ``B'' to continue booting.
.
.
If this is another place where I can attempt to get a bash prompt, it would certainly be easier then taking the hard drive out of Tivo and installing it into a PC, over and over again.

If someone wants to get me "Dummy" explaination of how to append text as they mention above that would be great too.

thank

Ken

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Dallas, TX, USA
Posts: 0

As mentioned in an above post, the "shondss" command is only valid if your TiVo is running version 1.3 of the software.

What version are you running?

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-Billy

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Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Posts: 2

If memory serves me right (I'm not home at the moment), I think it said something about 1.2.1 or something like that... pretty sure is was 1.2x
It was bought in fall of 1999 then the modem died about 7 months later.
Ken

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