enter single user mode from boot menu

[Polytropon]

On Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:44:46 -0400, Joe wrote:
> running 9.1 and can not figure how to get into single user mode or safe 
> mode from the BOOT menu.
> 
> After hitting the 5 or 6 keys to select those options, what do you do 
> next to continue?
> 
> Hitting enter key just boots the system without regard to options selected.

TO be honest, I don't use the boot menu. Instead I tend to
access SUM (single user mode) when neccessary by the respective
loader command.

To illustrate this approach:

The /boot/loader.conf file contains those two line:

	autoboot_delay="1"
	beastie_disable="YES"

The delay time (in seconds) is the time you have to choose
when _not_ going into multi-user mode (default), so increase
this value if needed.

After the BTX loader has started, keep hammering the space
bar. :-)

At some point, you'll see the 

	Ok
	_

prompt. This is where you enter the command

	boot -s

to go into single-user mode. The kernel will load as you would
expect, but no further action (rc.d startup) will be taken. Instead
you have to confirm the shell (/bin/sh by default) by pressing
enter at the

	When prompted Enter full pathname of shell or RETURN for /bin/sh:

prompt; and then you're left at the

	# _

prompt, which means you're in single user mode. Type "exit" to
start into multi-user mode as usual.

Of couse, this is what _should_ happen if you select the proper
item from the loader menu (key '4'), but as I don't use this,
I can't be more specific. It's just a natural assumption. :-)



> Can not find usage of boot menu in the handbook.

The FreeBSD Handbook only briefly visits this topic:

13.6.2: Single-User Mode

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/handbook/boot-init.html

25.7.6: Drop to Single User Mode

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/makeworld.html

Fortunately, good documentation can be found in the manual pages.
I recommend "man 8 boot" and "man 8 loader", which are involved
in getting into SUM (loader more than boot regarding your question).



-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...