gray screen on boot up, posix_spawnp /usr/sbin/mDNSresponder no such file or directory
an OS X server got unhappy and seemingly did hang on bootup on the gray screen with the rotating ‘progress’ indicating.
Booting it with text mode enabled (holding command V) revealed that the machine would loop with the following error message snippets:
posix_spawnp ... /usr/sbin/mDNSresponder ... no such file or directory
ls -lsd /
0 drwxrwxr-t 43 root admin 1530 Dec 20 03:57 /
Booting into single mode (command -s) and then doing the suggested fsck and mount -uw / revealed that the permissions actually were set to:
drwwrx---
Meaning that others have not even read permissions. This makes the mDNSresponder seemingly unhappy. I would guess that it quickly gives away its root privileges after launch for security reason. Running what the internet suggested
chmod 775 /
did fix the issue.
March 9th, 2009 at 6:05 am
Hi Andreas,
I would like to thank you about the booting problem with osx server. I was worried to have to do a new install, than I found your post via google. The chmod 775 fix the problem.
I have just one question: the problem occurred when I installed the last updates. During the rebooting I switched off the usb-printer. I’m just trying to find what caused the problem: the installation of updates or the switching off of the usb-printer…
Many thanks anyway, you save me some hours of unpleasant work.
Bye
Mauro
April 18th, 2009 at 6:36 am
Many thanks - I had the same problems, for me totally unfathomable. Your diagnostics and fix worked simply and perfectly.
May 4th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Andreas,
Danke fuer den Tip. Super Loesung. Schnell und einfach!
Hat mir ne Menge Zeit erspart!
Thomas
August 5th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Many thanks, have been pulling my hair out trying to fix, couldn’t find help until here and it worked a treat.
August 22nd, 2009 at 2:44 pm
worked perfectly…thank you…wish I had found this four hours ago
September 29th, 2009 at 5:16 am
Hi Andreas
I have a mac mini - running OSX 10.4.11 - yesterday - after upgrading apples suggested updates (not safari) but iTunes - some security and something else I dont use at daily basis - I experienced the same problem as described here… would your solluiton work for me as well?
I have booted the machine with both OSX cd and disk warrior - runned all tests and there is nothing wrong…
Thanks in advance for your answer - hopefully already today (one of my problems is that I live and work in Alicante Spain - but the machine and I are norwegian - the help I can get here is about nonexisting)
Tine B
May 10th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Beautiful! Thank you!