Problems with flash drive; want to install OS again and not lose data

[jeff.lebowski]

Unsure of current version; the machine won't boot.

 

I don't even know what happened, but my server won't boot with the previous install of unRAID. I've saved the contents of the flash drive on my desktop machine and used the unRAID USB Creator to install a new version. This one boots, but obviously shows as a trial version and my disk assignments are missing. Replacing critical .cfg files with the old versions fails to boot.

 

If I just continue with the working flash drive and follow the instructions found at What to do if you have no backup and do not know your disk assignments, that should be fine, correct? I have no Dockers on this machine.

[JorgeB]

Does it fail to boot if you restore only your key, super.dat and the pools folder? That would take care of the assignments and shouldn't cause any issues booting.

[jeff.lebowski]

7 hours ago, JorgeB said:

Does it fail to boot if you restore only your key, super.dat and the pools folder? That would take care of the assignments and shouldn't cause any issues booting.

 

I was hoping someone might know the bare minimum. Let me try. Although, the previous install does not have /config/pools/

Edited September 30, 2023 by jeff.lebowski
added info

[Frank1940]

2 hours ago, jeff.lebowski said:

 

I was hoping someone might know the bare minimum.

Not quite sure what you meant by this statement.   @JorgeB did give the minimum number of files/directories to move to the new boot disk that will configure the disks so you will have all of your data.  (All of the other configuration will be gone and the server will start with the basic defaults.

 

2 hours ago, jeff.lebowski said:

 

Although, the previous install does not have /config/pools/

As I recall, that directory will be missing is you had not set up any Pools in your configuration.   A single cache drive does qualify as a 'Pool'.  So if you did not have a cache drive, that directory would be missing.

Edited September 30, 2023 by Frank1940

[jeff.lebowski]

I'm monitoring the boot process using IPMI. It has worked earlier in my troubleshooting, it will display NO SIGNAL when the server is off, but IPMI shows a blank screen when I power it up. So it would appear to be working correctly.

 

At this point, not even the freshest of fresh OS install on even a different flash drive will boot. By booting, I mean showing some kind of progress in IPMI. Maybe I grab a spare monitor so I can watch the server also not boot from that? haha

[JonathanM]

IPMI uses the dedicated graphics chip built in to the IPMI module, so if the OS (Unraid) is outputting video to another GPU, it won't show up in IPMI. Have you mucked with the BIOS settings? Are you SURE it's not booting? It could be coming up just fine without showing anything on that particular screen. Check to see if the NIC's MAC is showing up in your router's attached devices area.

[jeff.lebowski]

After a few days off from troubleshooting (and busy time at work), Subdivisions is once again booting. Albeit from a fresh flash drive install on a different flash drive.

 

I copied out the entire contents of the working flash drive to my desktop, then copied the old files from my desktop (Pro2.ky and super.dat) onto the flash, rebooted and now we're getting somewhere. I can see the missing disks although my pro license apparently isn't being seen. All disks are out of the chassis for faster boots while this whole thing has been going on.

 

Can I simply move over the entire flash contents now that we know things are working?

[jeff.lebowski]

I dragged over the entire old working flash and rebooted, but there is no access over the LAN. Here is the result of ifconfig and the contents of network.cfg, as seen through MC. Anything weird in these?

 

Disks are still not connected to the backplane if that matters.

Edited October 6, 2023 by jeff.lebowski
missing letters

[Frank1940]

52 minutes ago, jeff.lebowski said:

(Pro2.ky and super.dat)

 

My Key files on both of my servers are named    Pro.key       and this I believe is the source of the problem with it not being detected!

[jeff.lebowski]

14 minutes ago, Frank1940 said:

 

My Key files on both of my servers are named    Pro.key       and this I believe is the source of the problem with it not being detected!

 

Mistype error on my part: Pro2.key is my actual filename. 

 

One server has Pro1.key, another has Pro1.key, and the fourth also has Pro1.key.

 

But the server would still be accessible by ping or GUI even if the license file was incorrectly named/didn't exist. It did just before my latest step.

Edited October 6, 2023 by jeff.lebowski
missing word

[itimpi]

Did you do a licence transfer?    The licence is tied to a particular flash drive and if you start using a new one then you need to do a licence transfer to get it to work on the new flash drive (which will also result in a blacklist of the old one).

[Frank1940]

For the Ping-no-GUI, on the command line, type:

diagnostics 

 

Note where it puts the file.  Then shutdown the server (As I recall,   powerdown   will do that-- or  --a quick push on the power button on the case.) Pull the drive. Plug into your PC and upload the file in a new post. 

[jeff.lebowski]

29 minutes ago, Frank1940 said:

For the Ping-no-GUI, on the command line, type:

diagnostics 

 

Note where it puts the file.  Then shutdown the server (As I recall,   powerdown   will do that-- or  --a quick push on the power button on the case.) Pull the drive. Plug into your PC and upload the file in a new post. 

 

/boot/logs is the location, but the flash drive isn't being seen when plugged into my desktop. It just flashes. 🤬

 

I'm just about done, anyway. In the time I've wasted this week trying to get back to the old config, I could have re-downloaded most of the files instead.