"NY"  wrote in message
news:rjg8io$3e9$1@dont-email.me...
> I have added a line
>
> /dev/sda1 /home/pi/ext ntfs defaults,umask=000,x-systemd.device-timeout=30
> 0 0
>
> to /etc/fstab to auto-mount a USB drive that is on /dev/sda1
>
> This works fine.
>
> But if I accidentally forget to plug in the USB drive, booting halts with
> a message
>
> https://postimg.cc/4nbX0gkZ
>
> about being in emergency mode
>
> Interestingly, if I then plug the drive in (while the Pi is turned on) and
> press enter again, it boots normally.


Solved it! I should have used the keyword nofail to prevent boot stalling if
the drive isn't present:

/dev/sda1 /home/pi/ext ntfs
defaults,nofail,umask=000,x-systemd.device-timeout=30 0 0

https://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/75765/how-to-boot-without-mount
ing-a-drive-present-during-booting
gave me that information.



The consequences of the drive not being present are fairly catastrophic
because the Pi is used as a TV recorder which expects to write its
recordings to the USB drive, but its better that the Pi at least boots than
that it just stops dead in its tracks and throws its toys out of the pram.

The chances of me failing to plug the drive in are fairly remote: it only
happened because I moved the Pi from the TV back to my PC to investigate why
I'm not getting any sound, either analogue through the 3.5 mm jack or HDMI
to the TV, and forgot to bring the external drive with me.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05