[CentOS] read-only file system when trying to save files

Fri Nov 1 22:51:17 UTC 2013
Wes James <comptekki at gmail.com>

On Fri, Nov 1, 2013 at 4:39 PM, Billy Crook <bcrook at riskanalytics.com>wrote:

> usually a disk failure when that happens out of the blue.  try writing to
> /dev/shm/ if you have to save a file.  (That's a virtual fs in memory, so
> be advised it will disappear on reboot.) check dmesg for errors.
>
>
> On Fri, Nov 1, 2013 at 5:36 PM, Wes James <comptekki at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I have installed emacs with yum and now I'm trying to create a .emacs
> file
> > and put some commands in it, but I can't type anything in the emacs
> > buffer.  It says the buffer is read-only.  I exited emacs and did touch
> > .emacs and I get a message that it can't do that on a read-only file
> > system.  I googled around to see why this might be, but I can't see any
> > links on this.  Any tips why this might be doing this?  I've heard that
> > centos is strict on changes, but I don't know the extent it restricts
> > changes.  I followed a page where I did echo 0 >/selinux/enforce .  But
> > this is only good until reboot. But shouldn't I be now able to make
> changes
> > in ~*
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > -wes
> > __
>

That was it.  This is an old mac pro that I put centos on yesterday.  It
had 4 disks in it and this is the 3rd that has died.  A faculty member had
it for 5-6 years and it was on 24/7.  It's been in the junk pile for
several months.  I guess long enough for the disks to go south from sitting
on so long then going off for a period...  maybe....  Anyone heard of this?

Thanks,

Wes