Accidentally deleted the /etc folder

[sarksloane]

Hi, Please I need your help how can I restore and retrieve my /etc folder. Because of my carelessness, I deleted the folder.

Please how can I restore the file without re-installation.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Restore your backup.

Use this to preserve ACLs and other permissions:

Code: Select all

rsync -aAXv $source $destination

[sarksloane]

Restore your backup.

Use this to preserve ACLs and other permissions:

Code: Select all

rsync -aAXv $source $destination

Sorry I am new to linux world.

Please can you give me the steps on how to do it? I don't know where to find my back up.

[sarksloane]

Please i do really need your help..

[Bulkley]

Please can you give me the steps on how to do it? I don't know where to find my back up.

It is where you put it. I suspect that you never made a backup.

I would boot up a live Debian CD or USB. Then I would copy the entire /etc folder to my system and reboot. There is a slim chance that doing this might get you started. If it doesn't (and there is a big chance it won't) you will have to do a fresh install.

In the future, respect Debian's two tiered security. Avoid Sudo and use su. (Sudo has its uses but you need to learn how to use it safely.) Learn how to make backups.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

I would boot up a live Debian CD or USB. Then I would copy the entire /etc folder to my system and reboot.

I was going to suggest that but quite a few things would need to be changed — /etc/fstab being the main obstacle.

If the OP has the entire system on one partition then /etc/fstab could be deleted and the system should still boot.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

I don't know where to find my back up.

Debian doesn't backup automatically, you need to do this yourself.

Having a working backup strategy is the single most important thing to do on your computer, get something organised once you have fixed this mess.

[debiman]

sarksloane, i wonder how you managed to accidentally delete all of it?
using a gui filemanager as root?
i just cannot imagine anyone entering 'rm -rf /etc' while being root...

anyhow, you learned two important lessons:

1) be careful. don't use gui apps as superuser, rather trust the terminal.
2) make backups before the crap hits the fan.

[sarksloane]

Thank you guys for all of your advise. This mistake was a definitely a very tremendous learning for me and indeed a very big lesson.

I did the re-installation from the beginning.