<div dir="ltr"><div>Hello, Question - Is it no longer possible (on distributions with systemd) to use a rescue USB/CD to boot into a Linux environment that uses systemd? Background- I've been using Linux for the past 20 years and I have always been able to use Knoppix or System Recue CD to rescue/migrate/repair a Linux system with: boot: linux root=/dev/sda1 Thus, using the kernel+initrd built-in on the USB stick or CD and booting into my system. Recently, I had to migrate my root filesystem from one array to another and found I could no longer do this due to systemd. I tried: boot: linux root=/dev/sda1 init=/bin/bash # this gets me into the system as it normally would However, I cannot boot into the system normally like I could before with: boot: linux root=/dev/sda1 The error with the System Rescue CD is it cannot find /sbin/init (as this is a symlink to systemd) I then tried: boot: linux root=/dev/sda1 init=/lib/systemd/systemd Then I get the following error: [!!!!!!] Failed to mount API filesystems, freezing. Freezing execution. Workaround: What I ended up having to do after several hours was give up trying to rescue the machine with System Rescue CD, backup the root filesystem then perform a fresh install of the distribution I am using (Debian) and then boot to System Rescue CD, move the contents of my root filesystem back to where they were before and leave boot, lib/modules in place and then reboot and fix up any loose ends. </div>Is this the new method to re-install a skeleton OS and then move the contents of root back or is there a better way-- is it possible to use systemd and boot into a system like I did before? Was I missing a particular flag or option? <div> Thanks, Justin. </div></div>