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Lynx OS file recovery

I have a testing machine that has Lynx OS on it and is no longer bootable. I only have access to the hard drives and not the original machine. I need to get the machine configuration codes from .INI files located on the drives. I can put the drives into a XP PC and I can see two 2GB partitions that say healthy but are of an unknown file type.

What utilities can I use to get at and copy some ot the files from these partitions? I tried File Scavanger and several other utilities but it could not find any files but they do see unrecognized partions.

Help,
Nick
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ircpamanager

keep the hard drives in the XP machine. download Knoppix http://www.knoppix.org/ and boot XP machine off of Knoppix cd. once you are in kde you can then explore the drives and copy those files to cd(if you have a cd burner) or thumb drive or email them to yourself. This is a quick example, if you  need more post back.
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ASKER

I booted to the cd and when I try to open the unmounted devices I get the following error:

Could no mount device
The reported error was mount: could not determine the filesystem and none was specified

What should I try next?
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from windows xp u can try http://www.chrysocome.net/explore2fs
or u can use an other linux distro very nice for recovery
http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page
SystemRescueCd is a linux system on a bootable cdrom for repairing your system and your data after a crash...


Gastone
with pc booted from cd type dmesg at command prompt and post results. we are looking for what HD it discovered during boot.How many HD are in the machine?
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ASKER

While booting from any of the CDs there was only one HD. Both were pluged in when booting from XP. Both the utility CDs, xp utilities and XP itself will correctly see the drive and the partitions.
The drive is a 34.46GB drive with two 2GB partitions and 34.46GB unallocated.
The problem is not with seeing the partions or drive but with accessing the file structure. Is there another nonstandard type other than the standard unix types of file structures? Meaning something other than the ext2(3) file type?
is the files you want on the 2GB partitions?There are other different types of FS under unix/Linux. http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Filesystems-HOWTO.html 
     I am concerned that Knoppix could not mount the drive. Knoppix will mount Unix/Linux/Windows file systems. This is why i wanted you to post your dmesg when you booted off of Knoppix. I was trying to figure out if the drive is readable.
also maybe a typo but how can a HD have 34.46 GB with two 2GB partitons and still have 34.46GB unallocated space, the numbers don't add up.
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ASKER

Sorry, the drive has 30.46GB left. I will post the results as aoon as I get them. The data I need is on both of the two 2GB partitions.
sounds good.
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ASKER

The HD section of the report:

ata1: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0x20C8 ctl 0x20EE bmdma 0x20A0 irq 18
ata2: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0x20C0 ctl 0x20EA bmdma 0x20A8 irq 18
ata1: dev 0 cfg 49:2f00 82:74eb 83:7f63 84:4003 85:74e9 86:3c43 87:4003 88:207f
ata1: dev 0 ATA-6, max UDMA/133, 72303840 sectors: LBA48
ata1: dev 0 configured for UDMA/133
scsi0 : ata_piix
ata2: SATA port has no device.
scsi1 : ata_piix
  Vendor: ATA       Model: WDC WD360GD-00FL  Rev: 31.0
  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 05
SCSI device sda: 72303840 512-byte hdwr sectors (37020 MB)

If you need any other sections let me know
you could try mount /dev/ata1 /mnt as root
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ASKER

I attempted to enter that command and it told me I need to enter it from the root.  How do I return to the root within Knoppix?  I tried to open another root shell and it asked for a password that I don't know.  
type su this should get you into root. If it asks for a passwd try typing 'sudo passwd root'(no quotes) and enter new root password. now you should be able to run mount command. post back results. The HD  is  sata?
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ASKER

Yes it is a serial drive and the error I get is:

mount: special device /dev/ata1 does not exist
type dmesg | grep sda
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ASKER

When I type dmesg | grep sda from the root it gives me this response:

sda: sda1 sda2

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ASKER

I am still wrestling with this hard drive.  While working in Knoppix it appears to recognize the drive is there, I'm able to use one of the utilities that shows a visual representation of space used, but I've still been unable to successfully mount or acceess this drive.  Any help is much appreciated.  
try mount /dev/sda1 or /dev/sda2 /mount/point
if not post back error. I do not know what filesystem Lynx uses. You could try
mount -t "whatever lynx uses as  filesystem" /dev/sda1 or /dev/sda2 /where/to_mount
just found this http://blake.home.cern.ch/blake/linux/lynxfs/lynxfs-0.1.README

looks like you will have to download and install utility. This is was you are looking for.
Nick,
Did you ever resolve your problem?  I am having the exact same problem right now.  The link to the last solution access is blocked because it has to do with CERN(Eorupean Organization for Nuclear Research).  I am dead in the water until I can access these old files.

Thanks
Curt
I found a solution.
install new hard drive in machine and load software as normal.
log into coputer as "root"
Go to lowest level "cd /" <return>
Create a new directory  "mkdir oldroot" <return>
connect old hard drive to ribbon cable using second port
Mount HD "mount -o ro /dev/ide.1a /oldroot"
check filesystem  "ls" <enter>
you should now see two drives
Note: you will have to "mount" the second drive everytime you restart the computer.
Use the copy directory command to copy all files that you need,  "cd -R/oldroot /directory /"
This will copy all files in that directory.
You may also have to change write permission on some of the files.

Curt
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ASKER

Sorry for the delay in an update.
Using some of the information that I have been given I have been able to get the hard drive mounted (both partitions) using the following command:
mkdir oldroot
mkdir oldroot1
mount -t proc /dev/sda1 /oldroot
mount -t proc /dev/sda2 /oldroot

I was working my way down a list of available filesystems and 'proc' the first one that worked.  But my problem when I get this far is that every file I see is listed as a 0 kb file and I cannot open them.  My thinking is that I mounted it using the wrong filesystem.    Is that possible?
Yes, I believe that is possible.  Have you installed a new drive in your system and installed the OS(LYNX).  I tried to talk to the guys at Linuxworks to see if they could offer any solutions.  They basically said you have to have a maintenance contract with them BEFORE they wiil say if they can recover anything so I wouldn't bother going there.  

Did you mount the old drive in your Testing equipment?  Also can you tell me the manufacture of the equipment?

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ASKER

I am going to try to install the drive back into the machine as a second drive and see what happens.

Curtis - Have you found a solution on your drives?

ircpamanager - the link you provided does not work
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Curtis_Mehlhaff

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