emergency boot mode

[d_t_s2]

Thanks duckhook I appreciate and agree with your honest opinion!! . I have used ubuntu for decades on a 'windows esk' type interface. Loving the simplicity and self sufficiency and using software center for apps I need. Works fine. Upgrades itself Then I get out of my depths trying to fix/add something following Google!! And end up here. My ex employer kept me alive once or twice but no longer available!
I don't want to revert back to windows. Not even duel boot!
If I can find the right help and fix the monumental cokup I'll keep out of code! Promise.
I have a copy of latest live software coming Wednesday. So I will try that beforehand. Slight misunderstanding of 14.04 I tried bios boot but when attempting to boot into it - it could not load kernels??
I will try a live boot on Wednesday and cross fingers.
All drives disconnected bar OS HDD.
When you say fix fstab, how do I know what's messed up intially?
Thanks again.

[DuckHook]

…I'll keep out of code!

On the contrary, I would encourage you to take up what you call "code". Well, the command line at any rate. Knowing how to find your way around the command line can be a life-saver. It is also endlessly fascinating, if you are of that disposition.

FWIW, I don't code. Couldn't code to save my life. I know enough about bash, a few carefully chosen utilities, globbing and regex to get some simple stuff done, but the rest is experience, web research, help from more knowledgeable forum members and an intense curiosity about how Linux works. That's all.

Example: it isn't that hard to get to the point where you understand the various parts of fstab. Once you get there, it loses its ability to trip you up because your understanding allows you to manipulate its elements confidently. Instead of blindly following recipes that you find on the net, you can parse each element of that recipe to decide if it makes sense, has been rendered obsolete, is dangerous, etc.

When you say fix fstab, how do I know what's messed up intially?

At this point, you don't because you didn't keep an original copy around to study and compare things to. However, fstab really isn't that complicated. It's a simple text file that tells the system where to find your disk. It follows a set of conventions. And while to the uninitiated it looks like gobbledegook, each line and each part of each line has a meaning that isn't that hard to decipher if you approach it systematically.

Once your LiveBoot media arrives and you can run a LiveUSB session, post back to this thread and we should be able to help you reconstruct a working fstab.

One last observation: rather than let this incident sour you on the command line, it would be better to think of it as a learning opportunity: learn how to set up a VM running a containerized instance of Ubuntu. Use this disposable VM to do your experimenting. If you mess it up, roll back to a good previous snapshot and correct your mistake from the point where you messed up. You will be comfortable with system files and the command line before you know it.

[d_t_s2]

Thanks DH most informative. The usb is currently in progress and I will collect in the morning. I assume that I boot into a try ubuntu option. I also found https://downfromthetrees.typepad.com...stab-file.html which cuts the jargon out.
I appreciate your time and help and if you can advise further much appreciated. I will keep you informed of the outcome.

Just an afterthought, would it be easier to reinstall on a new HDD but still be able to access documents etc on original boot drive or will it still pose an issue? Documents etc are most important thing to save! (But not backup! ;( )

[DuckHook]

The steps in the link you posted are accurate. I'm not going to quibble about the slightly different way I would handle it. The steps in that tutorial will work. The only question mark is what the new contents of your fstab should be. We will get to that when the time comes.

[d_t_s2]

Right I'm in Live USB and found the fstab file. As per instructions. I do not know a working script. What next?

[oldfred]

Post this in code tags.
copy of fstab
lsblk -f

Easy to use code tags in forum's advanced editor and # icon.
How to use Code tags, # in advanced editor
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...8#post12776168
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...8#post12776168

[d_t_s2]

Thankyou to you all for your patience with me and my lack of understanding.
I received the live usb today and flashed this to one of the new drives. From there I followed your advice to NEW fstab file. Took a photo. Disconnect new drive and plugged original drive back in and from emergency boot screen Su / nano/fstab deleted 15 lines of gobbledegook then rewrote the text from photo replacing UUID.
This appears to have solved the situation. Currently upgrading to 18.10 so hopefully fixed.
Thankyou all again.

One other minor issue I have a dual boot screen now from my previous attempts with my 14.01 cd - that didn't work. How do I remove these?

[d_t_s2]

I couldn't

 code

as this is all being done on my phone!

Oh perhaps I can! Thanks again all

[DuckHook]

See?

You were actually able to get back to a working fstab without further handholding from any of us. You are already on your way to being able to deal with system files.

BTW:

1. It is probably too late, but why upgrade to 18.10? 18.04 is stable and LTS while any standard release means the upgrade treadmill.
2. I hope you backed up your data this time before upgrade.
3. Don't know what you mean by dual boot screen. Two entries in GRUB? At any rate, start a new thread for new problems.

Good Luck and Happy Ubuntuing!

[d_t_s2]

Thank you all for your help. Auto Backup enabled. No idea how to recover from backup, but hopefully never need it again! Thread Closed!