the initial issue was caused by systemd trying to load cdemu kernel module which was removed by vmware! once i removed the .conf file from /etc/modules.d/ normality crept back BUT my nic was not being initialised as the r8169 was refusing to load. I then assumed most of my modules were corrupted some how hence why they were failing to load (even modprobe was failing), a possibility that me running vmware-modconfig [...] as stated in my initial post caused this but i have no way to disprove or prove this but i resolved this by re-installing the kernel & headers. thanks for time taken in reading this. On Thu, Nov 01, 2012 at 03:31:13PM +0200, Thomas Rand wrote: > Hey Archers, > my issue begins with me trying to patch vmware for 3.6.3-1-arch > I tried using vmware & this told me the modules were not present for > 3.6.3 so I went to grab latest from AUR (vmware-patch), the comments > on there suggested that the ones for 3.5.x still worked but needed to > be rebuilt. > > so I read these instructions: > https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/VM … stallation > > I noticed that in the finishing up section it gave a warning that if I > update the kernel need too issue the following: > > vmware-modconfig --console --install-all > > so I ran this & tried to run vmplayer > this opened but crashed as soon as i tried to play a VM, I then > decided that as I had not used it for some time I would just remove > it: > > vmware-installer --uninstall-product vmware-player > > this finished & so I ran: > > pacman -R vmware-patch > > all was ok (so I thought) a while later I had to reboot to do > something in my win7 install (non volatile) upon completing I rebooted > back to arch & now my install refuses to boot & I see: > > Failed to start load Kernel Modules [FAILED] see 'systemctl status > systemd-modules-load.service' for details > > obviously systemd fall's over & offers to enter password or control-D > to continue > > well the system refuses to go any further & locks up totally (no > flashing kbd lights like a panic though!) > the exact same happens when I boot the fallback kernel > > I can chroot into it using the old media (CORE 2011.08.19) which is > the most recent I have, whilst chrooted in I thought perhaps the old > vmware modules did not get removed correctly so I blacklisted them in: > > /etc/modprobe.d/vmware.conf > > blacklist vmmon > [...] > > I have managed to get into the system using the following boot parameter: > > systemd.unit=rescue.target > > I then ran: > > systemctl status systemd-modules-load.service > > this provided the default message about the service not starting but > no reason why or what caused it to fail > > So any advice or way forward would be appreciated as I am totally lost > & have googled everything I can think of which may help but this is > the first time I have b0rk3d the modules & am lost as to what to do. > > -- > Regards > Thomas Rand
