Due to a missing `fi' in /etc/rc.d/init.d/single, you get a
syntax error from bash while switching to single user mode,
and you get no shell.
This happens only with the new initscripts package which has
been made for kernel 2.2 support.

--- single.orig Wed Feb 10 18:46:58 1999
+++ single      Wed Feb 17 16:04:59 1999
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
    echo "/sbin/modprobe" > /proc/sys/kernel/modprobe
 else
    /etc/rc.d/init.d/kerneld start
+fi

 # Now go to the single user level.
 echo "Telling INIT to go to single user mode."