how to modify /etc/fstab ?

[James Knott]

Zbigniew Koziol wrote:
> On 7/21/08, James Knott <james.knott-bJEeYj9oJeDQT0dZR+AlfA at public.gmane.org> wrote:
>> Zbigniew Koziol wrote:
>>> The story is longer, but I will try to keep it short.
>>>
>>> I bought a very nice computer for just $ 160. Of course with Windows
>>> installed there. And when sweatching between the old one and new one,
>>> the old one stopped working. Seems that a problem with video
>>> connection, though I am not sure :(
>>>
>>> Let me at least have the new one working.
>>>
>>> I took out hard drive (there were two) from the old one and put it in
>>> the new one.
>>>
>>> Good. At least it attempts to boot up. It brings me to read-only mode
>>> beacuse it can not mount another hard drive that is listed in
>>> /etc/fstab and does not exist on new computer (there is just one slot
>>> for HD connection on new computer)
>>>
>>> I can not modify /etc/fstab and disable booting another harddrive that
>>> was in older computer, because it is in read-only mode.
>>>
>> Are you trying to edit as root?  If not you won't be allowed to.  Also, if
>> root, it's easy to change permissions to make it writable.
> 
> As root.
> 
> Common...
> 
> I am in read only mode. How to go to single-user mode?
> 
> 
>>> I did the thing in the past. I guess I used CD for rebooting in single
>>> user mode. But I have no CD now, I have DVD only. The computer has CD
>>> only.
>>>
>>> Any parameters to be entered during reboot?
>>>
>>> But the screen goes so fast when booting. I do not really know how to
>>> enter any kernel parameters.
>>>
>>> This is Centos 5.

I don't know about Centos, but in SUSE, you can enter "1" in the boot 
parameters line.  However, you can always move to run level 1 by 
openning a command shell and entering init 1.  However, there should be 
no need to do that as root should be able to edit the file.  I have done 
so many times.
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