Re: How do I "see" a hard drive?

"JohnW" <news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:


"JohnW" <news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:tF73g.11885$4k5.11524@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have a problem with my MacMini that I have a feeling is actually a dead
hard drive but before I send it away for repair (it's still under warranty
so I don't want to try to crack it open myself) I want to try to recover as
much data from it as possible (I've been using it as a "media" computer and
there are quite a few radio recordings on there that I haven't listened to
yet and that are now completely unavailable).

I have one more test I want to run that I don't have enough knowledge to
do - hopefully somebody can help.

My first hope was to try to reinstall OSX but I get halfway through the
setup procedure and it fails to list any possible destinations to install
it to. I also ran the Hardware test (on the Mac Install CD) which reported
that all hardware is working correctly!

I thought I'd try to run a Live Linux CD (ROCK Linux) which is successful
and have got KDE going but I still can't "see" any hard drives (the file
manager program lists a "hard drive" but that appears to be the CD that
I've booted from. This is roughly where my Linux knowledge ends!

The questions are these:

1. Having booted the Mac with Linux, should I be able to "see" the Mac
hard drive?

2. If I should be able to "see" it, how do I go about that? ie do I need
to mount it from the command prompt before starting Xwindows? If so,
exactly what should I type in?



Thanks for all your help so far - I've only just managed to get enough time
to have another shot at this...
I've now logged in as root so there's no need for anyone to shout at me
anymore;-)

Having now successfully entered many of the suggestions I think I know where
this is heading but I'll add here the results of what I've done.
I type: mkdir /mnt/hda2

You should have typed
mkdir /mnt/hda

I simply get another command prompt
I type: mount /dev/hda3 /mnt/hda
response: mount point /mnt/hda does not exist

Because you did not create the mount point /mnt/hda in the previous
command.


I type: cat /etc/fstab
response:
/dev/root / auto defaults 0 1
none /proc proc defaults 0 1
none /dev devfs defaults 0 1
none /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 1
none /dev/shm ramfs defaults 0 1
none /sys sysfs defaults 0 1
none /tmp tmpfs defaults 0 1

You have no hard disk in the /etc/fstab. This is celarly a Live
distribution.



I type: mount /dev/hda2 -t ext3 -o ro /mnt/hda2
response: special device /dev/hda2 does not exist

ls /dev/hda*
If you see something then the system "knows" about your hard drive. If not,
then not.

fdisk -l /dev/hda
to see if the partition table can be read.

I type: mount dev/hda2

you need the leading / and there is no entry for dev/hda2 in /etc/fstab so
mount has no idea what you want it to do.

response:
mount: can't find /dev/hda3 in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

And now you are mistyping, since it would have said
can't fine dev/hda2 in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab


I type: mount /dev/hda3 /mnt/hda3
response:
mount point /mnt/hda3 does not exist

As I previously said, if I run cat /proc/partitions it appears that I can
actually see the drive.

And what is the ouput of this command? We need information to help you.

Again, you make it very hard for us to help you, but withholding
information, by mistyping, etc. What you type here is the only insight we
have to your machine. Believe me, none of us can see into your machine from
afar.


Have I done all I can? If so, am I likely to have any utilities on my Linux

No, post the above information.

CD that might attempt some sort of disk repair? I don't need to get at
everything from the drive just a couple of folders that I don't back up as
often as I clearly should!

Yes, it is still possible especially if you say cat /proc/partitions gives
results.





Thanks again


.

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