Topic: how did I kill my old server?

[davejay]

I just built a new server with a fresh install of 6.0.1, then pulled a desktop backup from the old server and loaded it into the new server. There were lots of little things to straighten out, but mostly it went swimmingly.

Here's the odd thing, though: my old server had an extra hard drive for music. Once I had the new server working, I shut it and the old server down, then moved the extra hard drive from the old server to the new.

Started up the new server, all is well.

Started up the old server (needed the fstab entry for the extra disk) and it won't boot! It gets as far as saying that it is starting, then throws a block error...or sits for several minutes and throws a different error (can't remember which). Either way, it never gets to the kernel.

So what happened, and how? I'd love to hear theories...

I consider myself very lucky that the new server is working fine, because I can't throw the old server back up if there's a problem (which was the original idea).

[Reinhold]

Dave,

Take a monitor to the old server and watch
Report (preferably by showing us) what YOU SEE ...

The fstab in the old server needs the music HD entry (!) removed (!) ...but what disk was it ?, mounted where?

If the old SME sit's several minutes and throws an error it
(i) might seek the music drive
(ii) might fight for it's old ip (which you have given to the new server ?)
(iii) might have some other hickup you introduced while removing the HD (with it's cable ???).

Anyway - this is all pure speculation now - useless most likely
...could be a nice piece of "SME learning"


Regards
Reinhold

[davejay]

Actually, I had a monitor attached -- the post-splash "Starting" message and block error are literally the only thing displayed.

For now, I'm going to assume I fried the IDE controller with static electricity until I get the chance to tear it apart for a post-mortem...can't imagine any other reason why it wouldn't even begin to boot but not throw a LILO error...

[Reinhold]

if you'd have fried the IDE controller you'd have a beep (or several) and your BIOS would complain...
So you've seen nothing ...not even "LI" ???
Plug in a new IDE+Power cable
...or let's just forget this thread  

Regards
Reinhold