[SOLVED] Linux Mint Mate 20.3: Failed to start LSB ... upon entering runlevel 1 (single)

[Tom739]

Dear All

I just upgraded my computer from Linux Mint Mate 19.3 to Linux Mint Mate 20.3. After the upgrade and my configurations were completed, I decided to create a backup. I created the first backup with timeshift, which completed without any problems. Afterwards, I wanted to create an old fashioned backup on DVD running "dump" in single user (rescue) mode. However, after switching into single user (rescue) mode as root per

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init 1

the error message

systemd[1]: Failed to start LSB: executed by init(8) upon entering runlevel 1 (single).

was displayed and no further keyboard entry was displayed on the screen. So, I had to reboot my computer.

Searching the internet I found the forum thread Stuck into a single-user mode on Ubuntu 20.04 Kernel 5.4 which described the same issue and proposed a fix in /etc/init.d/single. I am posting this issue and the solution here in order to help others, who may run into the same problem.

The problem is related to line 17 in /etc/init.d/single:

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exec init -t1 S

The option "-t1" is no longer supported by init of systemd 245.4.4, which caused the aforementioned error. After replacing that line by

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exec init S

the single user (rescue) mode was reached without any problems and I could run my additional backup.

Regards
Tom