Im writing this in a text-mode webb browser(links2) since im trying to install Gentoo Linux. I follow the Gentoo handbook for x86 users and have a big problem: emerge wont work! Emerge worked until i #modules-updated. When i tried to #modules-update after #genkernel all, emerge nvidia et.c. it sed "FATAL error, read-only file sustem". So i manually added the modules i wanted in the modules.conf file and procceseded with the installation and everything seemed to be working, but when i try to #emerge --usekpg lilo it sez "emerge, command not found"!!!! Please help! I dont want to reboot and re-do everything from scratch! And i have to get up early tomorrow so i cant stay up long :( :( :( HELP!!!! [Edited by - BBB on February 28, 2007 11:11:45 AM]

Double-check which filesystem you are writing to. Have you tried remounting it in read/write mode?
Are you sure you followed the steps correctly?
Have you tried giving a full path to emerge?

If the filesystem is in your fstab, you can do mount mountpoint -o remount,rw
If not, you will have to give the full parameters (pretty much the same as in your fstab) mount -t fstype device mountpoint

Double-check that you aren't trying to install gentoo on the cdrom. :)

Yes, there are many steps when installing Gentoo (unfortunately).
There's a quick reference you may want to keep nearby (though now it's probably a bit late).

emerge is in /usr/bin, so you may try and type /usr/bin/emerge --usepkg lilo and hope it's just a problem of broken paths. You may want to go check that you do have a /usr/bin.

BTW, I'm sorry, but I've got to go out for lunch now, so... good luck.

Can you use other programs in /usr/bin? Make sure /usr/bin is in your $PATH, and if it isn't, add it:

# export PATH="$PATH:/usr/bin"

Also, you might want to mess around with another linux distro before you install gentoo, it will help out alot.

a blue color?

I don't know what kind of color gentoo uses, but htat souds like it turned into a directory.

Are you sure your hardware is solid? I've seen the read-only file system errors before as a result of bad RAM. You may want to reboot and run memtest86.

Can you touch some file on the partition in question and see if the error occurs? A reboot might help, and you should be able to simply pick up where you left off, for the most part. I like to keep a Knoppix disc around for this type of thing, but a Gentoo LiveCD should do just as well.

Quote:

Original post by BBB The whole thing seems like a terminal-issue.

The other terminal must still be pointing to the Gentoo CD-ROM, which would be, obviously, read-only. It is possible that, at some point, you closed the chrooted session (CTRL-D, or exit) that was pointing / to your hard-drive.

Quote:

Original post by BBB Quote: Original post by NoahAdler Are you sure your hardware is solid? I've seen the read-only file system errors before as a result of bad RAM. You may want to reboot and run memtest86. Can you touch some file on the partition in question and see if the error occurs? A reboot might help, and you should be able to simply pick up where you left off, for the most part. I like to keep a Knoppix disc around for this type of thing, but a Gentoo LiveCD should do just as well. But how do i pick up where i left off? Do i simply have to #mount /dev/hde3 /mnt/gentoo , #mount /dev/hde1 /mnt/gentoo/boot , #chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash and env-update after the rebooting with the gentoo livecd? Is there anything else i have to do?

You also have to mount proc. You may also which to do source /etc/profile at the end (recommended by the Handbook). I've done this successfully, you needn't worry about loosing anything. You can only install in the same terminal as where you ran the chroot from (you can do that in more than one), just chroot, env-update, and source /etc/profile.

The Gentoo setup involves chrooting the /mnt/gentoo directory (which should have the partition you are installing gentoo on mounted on it). If you are in a terminal that has already been chrooted then you wont be able to run emerge if you haven't installed it yet.

The fact that changing VTs fixes the problem makes it seems like this is the case. Make sure that you are following the instructions very carefully and doing everything step-by-step.