What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-05-06 13:46:27

Btrfs snapshots are fantastic for quick undeletes 8)

The only problem then is the carelessness that inevitably ensues...

stevep · 2017-05-06 17:15:11

jdonaghy wrote:

Just the usual stuff. Running DD on the wrong partition, corrupting the bootloader, typing the wrong password in both fields, etc.
And, judging by my lack of success over the last hour or so, it would seem I'm too stupid to build a custom kernel that includes support for my laptop's trackpad. I'm convinced I've tried everything, and yet the device refuses to be recognized by the kernel. It's probably something simple, and I'll eventually end up saying, "D'oh!" But, for now, I'm racking my brain.

That sounds interesting--if you start a new thread, maybe we can suss out what's going awry.

geekosupremo · 2017-05-16 19:30:08

Hmmm just ran 'vgrename' on a running and mounted LVM ... thankfully ... not production

Last edited by geekosupremo (2017-05-16 19:38:11)

Sector11 · 2017-05-16 20:36:36

chmod -R sector11:sector11 /media/AL-h

since it was mounted as root, killed another distro. Gotta reinstall.

KrunchTime · 2017-05-17 07:45:32

I knew the dd command could be dangerous, but....

On Monday night, I had finished my daily routine on my desktop computer. I had one more bare hard drive to wipe, so I thought I'd start the process before taking a shower. I set up an external hard drive docking device, inserted the bare hard drive, and started the wipe command.

I then switched to my file manager to do something and it wouldn't respond. I also noticed that the size of my home folder kept changing. I then tried to run Gnome System Monitor to kill the non-responding file manager, but Gnome System Monitor wouldn't start. Oh well, I thought, must be the dd command bogging things down.

I then checked the status of the wipe procedure and was surprised at how quickly it was progressing. I was attempting to wipe a bare Seagate hard drive and the last one I wiped took over 50 hours, approximately 10GB per hour for a 500GB drive. The wipe procedure I had just started was already over 10GB in 10 minutes.

So, I went to wipe the hard drive in a laptop I'm going to take to a local electronics recycling center. I started that wipe procedure and went back to check the status of wiping the bare Seagate drive. The status showed 140Gb, and I thought, wait, that can't be right. The drive is only 100GB. So I checked the drive and sure enough it showed 100GB on the label.

Then it dawned on me...instead of typing dd of=/dev/sdb, I typed dd of=/dev/sda. I had followed the example I had in my Linux tips database without thinking. I was wiping the hard drive on my desktop instead of the bare Seagate hard drive. Face plant! So now I'm spending time re-installing everything on my desktop. 8.(

Sector11 · 2017-05-17 14:33:44

KrunchTime wrote:

So now I'm spending time re-installing everything on my desktop.

OH MY! Backups? Please, please say yes!

Nili · 2017-05-17 16:21:55

I was about to break a lot of files on my phone yesterday by making a stupid remove command. Fortunately, the phone did not accept my idiotic command, And so I have stayed rescued.

ohnonot · 2017-05-18 05:38:52

KrunchTime, my deepest condolences.
upside: you are now a true Linux geek, baptized by fire.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-05-18 06:35:34

KrunchTime wrote:

dd

That is unfortunate but I think the real error was not making a proper backup.

I use https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fu … with_rsync, a full disk restore can be done in about half an hour (unattended).

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2017-05-18 06:36:10)

KrunchTime · 2017-05-21 03:04:49

Sector11 wrote:

KrunchTime wrote:
So now I'm spending time re-installing everything on my desktop.
OH MY! Backups? Please, please say yes!

Yes, I'm OCD about backups. Well, data backups, not full disk backups as HoaS pointed out. Typing this from the desktop. I've almost completed tweaking my BL Hydrogen instance, and then I need to perform an install of BL tracking Debian Unstable.

ohnonot wrote:

KrunchTime, my deepest condolences.
upside: you are now a true Linux geek, baptized by fire.

Thanks! Nah, when I get as good as HoaS or some of the others here, I'll consider myself a Linux geek. I'm definitely more knowledgeable than I was when I took another look at Linux back in 2011.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

That is unfortunate but I think the real error was not making a proper backup.
I use https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fu … with_rsync, a full disk restore can be done in about half an hour (unattended).

Good point; thank you for the tip and link.

Last edited by KrunchTime (2017-05-21 03:17:00)

Sector11 · 2017-05-21 03:16:33

KrunchTime wrote:

Yes, I'm OCD about backups.
Thanks! Nah, when I get as good as HOAS or some of the others here, I'll consider myself a Linux geek.

Good to hear and, for my part anyway, knowing I'll never be an equal to HoaS, or close, I'm happy being the semi-knowledgeable noob.

KrunchTime · 2017-05-21 03:17:54

^ You make up for it by being the Conky maestro.

Last edited by KrunchTime (2017-05-21 03:18:55)

Sector11 · 2017-05-21 04:07:39

Well, when you play with something for 9.5 years one has a tendency to learn by osmosis.

24 Dec 2007, my first contact and question about conky, and what a ride it's been!
My first cony was so UGLY!!!!

Nili · 2017-05-21 08:12:07

Sector11 wrote:

My first cony was so UGLY!!!!

I used to have so much fun with that style on my Linux/conky first steps that date 2011
Beauty and ugly is relative anyway Your first conky is still good looking though. I still see people use it almost like yours.

Sector11 · 2017-05-21 15:58:37

^ Yea, that down the side full block conky is still quite popular in some places, and I have a few more modern versions of that style. But I found I really didn't look at everything, so slowly things got weeded out.

But those colours! YUK! WEll like you said: "Beauty and ugly is relative anyway" I recall one user saying the colours matched their favourite football team she they liked it. Mind you I created it that way soooooooooo ... my bad taste.

And the spacing was horrible, elements moved around, and ...and ... and ... and it was a conky only a creator could love. It is my conky roots.

KrunchTime · 2017-05-25 07:10:05

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

KrunchTime wrote:
dd
That is unfortunate but I think the real error was not making a proper backup.
I use https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fu … with_rsync, a full disk restore can be done in about half an hour (unattended).

Seems we have an in-house expert.

BLizgreat! · 2017-05-25 21:48:39

Ouch, that bites Krunch. Though guess it's a live and learn type situation. You'll definitely be more cautious with dd in the future and as Sector says hopefully you've got backups fellow nixer.

martix · 2017-05-25 21:50:14

Well, I did a really stupid thing recently... :8 Or better to say: Such a thing happened to me. I still cannot believe what just happened...

Imagine the most beautiful weather in spring, lovely day, bright sunshine - I even opened the window. I was sitting in front of my Notebook, running linux, enjoying such a great day. To make it even more convenient I made a big cup of green tea and also had some delicious cookies.

While I was sitting in front of the machine, eating a (too big) cookie I took a gulp of tea and SUDDENLY like a lightning strikes: I had to SNEEZE! I could not even turn away. It's better if I do not describe in detail how the screen and the keyboard looked. The whole laptop was covered, crumbles and tea everywhere (while writing about it I said to myself: "You should have made a screenshot!" Well, actually no, xfce4-screenshooter would not have grabbed the situation). The keyboard on the machine is supposed to be "spill resistant", but to make matters worse, some liquid got on the back of the power panel, running further down and I guess it got on the (keyboard-)circuits too.

While I was cleaning the display and started to shut the machine down I realized that the "Enter" key did not work anymore, but the machine did power off. HOWEVER: I could not turn it on again! From one moment to the other I just did not have internet, access to my files, emails, etc. That beautiful day turned into a nightmare within a second.

What could I do? Well, I read about letting it dry, putting the machine under sunshine for a while but NO. In the end I did hope that it's not a mainboard failure, so I ordered a new keyboard. Fortunately it was indeed the case. After five days the new keyboard arrived and I replaced the old one. After that I could turn the notebook on again and use it without issues. 8)

o9000 · 2017-05-25 21:51:43

You're not the only one to do that... I'll say no more.

iMBeCil · 2017-05-26 08:44:03

martix wrote:

... I had to SNEEZE! I could not even turn away. It's better if I do not describe in detail how the screen and the keyboard looked ...

Gesundheit ]:D ]:D

Seriously though, if anything is spilled on the computer, it is best to switch it off and disconnect from the power line ASAP, or in case of laptop, remove the battery ASAP (without shutdown), if possible. It gives one the most chance to clean the mess from inside of the computer. (Reason: liquid possibly makes dangerous shortcuts on the circuitry, and possibly kills electronic components, or destroys electrical pathways on the board due to the electrolysis ...)

I'm glad you have resolved your problem. Did you consider rinsing your dirty keyboard with lukewarm water thoroughly, and drying it with hairdryer? It could revive it ...

#41 2017-05-06 13:46:27

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#42 2017-05-06 17:15:11

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#43 2017-05-16 19:30:08

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#44 2017-05-16 20:36:36

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#45 2017-05-17 07:45:32

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#46 2017-05-17 14:33:44

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#47 2017-05-17 16:21:55

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#48 2017-05-18 05:38:52

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#49 2017-05-18 06:35:34

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#50 2017-05-21 03:04:49

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#51 2017-05-21 03:16:33

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#52 2017-05-21 03:17:54

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#53 2017-05-21 04:07:39

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#54 2017-05-21 08:12:07

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#55 2017-05-21 15:58:37

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#56 2017-05-25 07:10:05

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#57 2017-05-25 21:48:39

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#58 2017-05-25 21:50:14

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#59 2017-05-25 21:51:43

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

#60 2017-05-26 08:44:03

Re: What is the most stupid thing you did on linux?

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