UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

With the cpio command of a Unix File System for error I have replaced the directory “.. “
(when you give the command “ls -la” under root you see at the beginning the hidden directory “. “ followed by a hidden file who is called “..” )
I have the copy on a cartridge of the whole file system, but now when I try to launch the command line “cpio”, the message is “cannot determine working directory”. What can I do?

I think you broke the filesystem. Have you tried fsck? ...but you might not be able to get to it.

You may have a filename or directory name containing bad characters such as screen control characters which are distorting your directory listing. It could be that you have renamed your current working directory to a rubbish name (hence the error message).
If the root filesystem was destroyed I would not expect "ls" to work.

Try the -b switch to "ls" and look for funny characters in filenames or directory names.

Code:

ls -lab /

Also check for the presence of the two dot directories in isolation.

Code:

ls -ladb /.
ls -ladb /..

As usual it would help to know whether you were logged in as "root", which directory you were in, what you typed and what messages you saw (if any).

I am in root directory and also with the command "cpio -ladb /.." I have a row with a file called /.. and not a directory. It's possible to recostruct the directory "/.." ?