The Official Dumb Mistakes Thread (TM) part deux

makmortiv · Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 5:31 am Post subject:

recently while working on a new router box I was building...I inadvertently typed `rm /boot/kernel-genkernel-2.6*<CR>` quickly and just about started to :cry:

when I realized when I rebooted later...that I had killed _all_ of my kernels instead of the last botched one without "CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y"...it was only 18 hours to compile a new kernel...n/m that I had no kernel to roll back to...doh.

On other notes I had forgotten that I'd made this threat after the original was locked. Nice to see it's still alive.

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SirYes · Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:53 am Post subject:

Well, it wasn't a Linux mistake per se, but here it goes.

My family's computer refused to boot Windows anymore. Essentially it was unable to do "dir C:", even though other disks were listing fine. Having a PCLinuxOS LiveCD I've tried to rescue the poor machine. So I did:

oxEz · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 115

probably a common one here:
I use my numpad for chars like * and /. I was logged as root, wanted to: rm -rf *.
You can look on your numpad: the '/' key is WAYYY too close to the '*' key...

So I typed rm -rf /

....crap.

abaelinor · n00b Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 51

you know, if you type it this way:

Brainfart · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 7:27 am Post subject:

I was adding something to one of my config files once (I forgot which one), and I thought it'd be a little easier to just echo it in... unfortunately,

InfinityX · Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2004 Posts: 385

sn4ip3r · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:07 am Post subject:

FcukThisGame · l33t Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 776 Location: /lost+found

salam · Apprentice Joined: 29 Sep 2005 Posts: 191

remotely:
1: after many network errors, i was disconnected and reconnected about 10 times
trying to clean and remove hanging sessions - killall sshd

2: did iptables -F while default policy was drop

ats007spdou · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Posts: 97

I believe that my stupid action deserves an honorable mention...

http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-2172810-highlight-partition.html#2172810

ats007spdou · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Posts: 97

den_RDC · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 5:02 pm Post subject:

A few weeks back, monday morning, 8:30AM (not my most productive time of the week).

I get a call from an IT collegue (a dev) at another site, reporting there was a problem with the wireless. Me being a nice guy i don't send him through the "you must first log a call with the lesser gods @ the helpdesk" run-around and check it out immediatly, seeing one of the two wifi access concentrators for that floor had crashed all of it's APs. No prob, nobody is connected on a crashed access concentrator as everyone is on the other one ( though that's the other side of the building, hence the bad connection ). No prob, i'll reboot it and it will be fine i say, in the mean time chatting a bit with my collegue. Seconds later he says "hey, a load of people just cursed simultaniously - you didn't reboot the wrong concentrator did you?" I responded with "Fuck".

I later explaned it as a "firmware glitch"

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sn4ip3r · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 5:35 pm Post subject:

ats007spdou · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Posts: 97

sn4ip3r · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 5:51 pm Post subject:

whoracle · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2004 Posts: 33

ats007spdou · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Posts: 97

bunder · Bodhisattva Joined: 10 Apr 2004 Posts: 5213

- setting up backuppc, but forgetting to back up /boot... then repartitioning a system for the hell of it.

- changing domain names on a network, without updating the central ldap database first.

i have more, but i don't want to leave a huge list :wink:

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goodbye fgo. it was nice knowing you.

orbitrus · n00b Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 15

Spending four years getting a BSc in Physics, then realizing that you hate Physics, but love CS. Fail the one class you have left and need to graduate, and honestly consider switching degrees you hate it so much. *ahem*

Also, use Access for so long with .mdb that you open your database program, choose "Save As" and save a link to the database moments before running "rm -Rf /var/mysql" on the database server, loosing ~100 000 items. *also ahem*

After deleting said 100 000 items, go rumage through a backup, only to realize that this system hadn't been running it's scheduled backups and the admin (... also you), had been meaning to fix this for a few weeks. Still, be glad that you got back the important entries - only to realize the backups are a little corrupt. *yep ahem*

Just as you are about to slaughter your first-born over the server, someone mentions they recently backed up a portion of the entries when they upgraded a major portion of the app which required changing the table layouts. These, thankfully, happen to be the important changed files, which on the backup were corrupt, and convert nicely, with said friends help, into the new format now required. Thank your stars, and fix the backup system within the day.

~ORBi

Opera · n00b Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 40 Location: Paris

The last one, few days ago : "emerge -C pam" instead of "emerge -C pan" ; fortunately, live-cd saved my life.
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"You get so used to things the way they are. And I've always been alone. I guess that's what makes me lonely. Until now".

Michael Connelly - The Black Echo

skellr · l33t Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Posts: 699 Location: The Village

I can unmerge gpm while having the gpm use flag set. It's just a mouse driver! :roll:

aidy · l33t Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 915

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bunder · Bodhisattva Joined: 10 Apr 2004 Posts: 5213