Raymond Norton <admin at lctn.org>  wrote:
> I just got a call from a school that has a mail server that wont boot.
> 
> The info I have is:
> 
> Booting ---more here-----
> root (hd0,0)
> Filesystem type ----more here----
> 
> Uncompressing Linux
> crc error
> --system halted

Ouch!  As suggested earlier, boot off a Knoppix or other LiveCD like
SystemRescueCD http://www.sysresccd.org/.  Figure out whether or not
the hard drive is going belly up.  The best you can do is try to get
the data off.  Add another hard drive to the system, something large
enough to back-up all the data.  Then use GNU parted to copy
partitions over.  Once that's done, chroot to the new disk and install
a new kernel.  Install the grub/lilo MBR.  Disconnect the old drive,
then reboot.

If you want to get fancy, buy two hard drives.  Before rebooting, hook
up the second drive and set up mirrored disks using mdadm.  If you
want to boot off a mirrored partition, you'll have to use lilo.  If
you plan on using Xen at some point, you'll have to use grub.  It's a
crazy, mixed up world out there.
-- 
Chad Walstrom <chewie at wookimus.net>           http://www.wookimus.net/
           assert(expired(knowledge)); /* core dump */