linux kernel upgrade

[Stanley Horspool]

I was installing glibc-2.1 and specified the installation directory as
/usr/lib. I ran configure and got a message saying I should move
/usr/local to another directory. I mv'd it to /usr/local_backup and
reran configure. I then ran 'make' and got a message saying it couldn't
find an include file. I mv'd /usr/local_backup back to /usr/local and
ran make. After a while I got a message saying it couldn't find the 'ln'
command in /bin. All commands in /bin, /sbin were missing. Apparently
they were links and got unlinked somehow. I then tried to reboot and the
shutdown couldn't find /bin/sleep. I couldn' t boot the system after
that. I have lots of stuff I don't want to lose. Rescue disk doesn't
work. If I reinstall I'm going to lose everything.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!