[TriLUG] no root PW

[Jon Carnes]

Paul is right.  Reboot the box into single user mode, and then simply use
passwd to change the root password.

To reboot in single user mode, Control-Alt-Del at the console, as the box is
coming up and gives you that LILO prompt, type in "linux -single" or
anything similar.  It will boot in single user mode.  Who is that single
user in single-user mode?  Why root, of course!

Jon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul D. Boyle" <boyle at laue.chem.ncsu.edu>
To: <trilug at trilug.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 12:45 PM
Subject: Re: [TriLUG] no root PW


> Ed Hill wrote:
> > On Wed, 2002-04-17 at 10:26, Greg Brown wrote:
> > > Help.  I have just inherited a Red Hat 7.1 system and nobody knows the
root
> > > password.  I'd like to just scrape the system clean and start over but
I
> > > can't do that for a variety of reasons.
> > >
> > > Is it possible to reset the root password without damaging the file
system?
> >
> >
> > Its easy if there is no BIOS password.
> >
> > Just get a copy of a floppy-based or CD-based distro (such as tom's
> > root-boot or the RH 7.2 install disk) and then boot off of it (not that
> > you'll want to use the "linux rescue" or similar option with a RH 7.2
> > install CD).
>
> It has been awhile since I have had to do something like this, so my
> knowledge is probably out of date.  Doesn't booting into single user
> mode from the LILO prompt work anymore?
>
>
> Paul
>
>
> --
> Paul D. Boyle     | boyle at laue.chem.ncsu.edu
> Director, X-ray Structural Facility | phone: (919) 515-7362
> Department of Chemistry - Box 8204  | FAX:   (919) 515-5079
> North Carolina State University     |
> Raleigh, NC, 27695-8204
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