[TUTORIAL] HOWTO Generic Linux VM Recovery

[jeenam]

This a HOWTO for booting into a recovery mode for Linux VM's. You can alternatively use your distribution specific ISO to boot a recovery environment as well (most distro installers include them as a boot option for their ISO). Someone on reddit hosed their Ubuntu install and I posted these instructions for them in their post on r/proxmox. Figured it would be useful to post it in the Forums as well.

1. Download System Rescue CD ISO from https://www.system-rescue.org/Download/.
2. Upload the ISO to Proxmox.
3. Edit your VM and Add a new CD/DVD Drive and select the System Rescue CD ISO.
4. Open the Console of the VM and Start it.
5. Press the ESC key to enter the VM BIOS.
6. Boot Maintenance Manager --> Boot Options --> Change Boot Order.
7. Move the UEFI QEMU DVD-ROM to the top of the list.
8. Press F10 to Save.
9. Commit Changes and Exit.
10. Main BIOS menu --> Continue
11. Once booted into System Rescue CD, mount all detected partitions with mountall.
12. Copy files using your preferred method.

System Rescue CD also includes X and you can start a generic XFCE window environment using startx if you prefer a GUI.

 

[LnxBil]

1. Press the ESC key to enter the VM BIOS.
2. Boot Maintenance Manager --> Boot Options --> Change Boot Order.
3. Move the UEFI QEMU DVD-ROM to the top of the list.
4. Press F10 to Save.
5. Commit Changes and Exit.
6. Main BIOS menu --> Continue

For BIOS (e.g. non-uefi systems), you can just press ESC and choose where to boot from.

 

[jeenam]

For BIOS (e.g. non-uefi systems), you can just press ESC and choose where to boot from.

When I went into the VM BIOS there is a Boot order option from the Main Menu that allows you to select the Boot Device. I would press ENTER on my keyboard to select the virtual DVD drive but for some reason the option wouldn't apply so I had to use the Boot Options in Maintenance Manager to set the boot order. The VM I used was configured as UEFI.