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Boot to terminal /Improper ShutDown
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:02 am
by jstark
Hello MX users,
After using my laptop and leaving it on for a few days, I didn't do a proper shutdown. When I first went to turn it back on it would boot to the GRUB menu then goes to the default choice for loading MX Linux off the HDD. But then it goes to a terminal screen and gets stuck with a prompt "initrasmfs". It mentions file corruptions and requests mainly running fsck. I have tried to understand and researched online but I'm too confused.
The first time this happened, my screen mentioned file corruption and mainly running fsck. I now have a screen mentioning error messages and the same prompt - the pictures attached.
Re: Boot to terminal /Improper ShutDown
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:56 am
by j2mcgreg
Basically, it's saying that there are problems with your HDD/SDD especially within the root partition. It's also suggesting that you use the fsck utility to try and fix those problems. Here's a tutorial on how to use fsck:
https://phoenixnap.com/kb/fsck-command-linux
I also think that it would be a good idea to access the bios of your laptop and see what the SMART status of your HDD/SDD is. If it says anything other than Healthy, you should be prepared to purchase a replacement drive and install it in the laptop.
Hopefully, it's just a bad block or two and fsck will do the necessary repairs.
Re: Boot to terminal /Improper ShutDown [Solved]
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 1:59 pm
by Huckleberry Finn
https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php ... 70#p694670
Or boot
live session:
- On GParted you can right-click on partition(s): "Check".
- Or just open a terminal:
(let's say it's sda7 , you can first lsblk -f to see which's which)
Re: Boot to terminal /Improper ShutDown
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 2:04 pm
by Huckleberry Finn
... In case you succeed booting, run:
Also you can run
badblocks
(You can also do these when on live session if you can't boot the installed MX, we'll go on "how to")
Re: Boot to terminal /Improper ShutDown
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 1:36 pm
by benoith
The post #3 by Huckleberry Finn make it for me, thanks

sorry for bad english...
Problem was : fsck error 4 pointing to home directory, ctrl+D was allowing to boot. Probably due to bad shutdown (I was creating a zip/7z archive, i checked after there was a bad file causing an error message needing to click ok, but the first time I launched the archive program I asked a programmed shutdown and probably it couldn't stop due to the archive program waiting to click ok)
Solution working for me : gparted live session, right click on verify for the home partition (and the same on the root partition).
Normal boot now.
Thanks all for sharing

Re: Boot to terminal /Improper ShutDown
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:42 pm
by jstark
First off: Thx for the fast responses I got for my problem (j2mcgreg and Huckleberry Finn)
I'm a novice so I couldn't figure out solution #1.
Finn's was more novice friendly and led me to the solution: Boot to USB version, KDE Partition Manager under System menu of programs. I 'right clicked' 'check' then 'apply' against sda1 (fat32) on the laptop's HDD. It didn't like it*. Repeat against sda2 ext4 and it fixed something. Re-boot to the HDD's version of MX Linux and it works! THANK YOU!!!
(* I thought I only had Linux on the laptop but maybe there is Windows on there too. It has been a long time since I first installed MX Linux)
Re: Boot to terminal /Improper ShutDown
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:58 pm
by Huckleberry Finn
Thank you both for the feedback, and glad it worked for 2 users at once :)