Fedora 16 root Password Lost.

Novatian · 04-18-2012, 05:00 AM

Hi, I am running Fedora 16 on my Asus Eee laptop, from an SDHC Card, I know two passwords, but do not recall a third one for SU root. The two password I tried do not go in the terminal. What can I do?

Re-Install?

I have just started trying to tweek it, and only used it for netbank and email so far.

I wanted to install compiz and other software. I found out that it needed to finish a task and tried SU to finish it, but no luck.

acid_kewpie · 04-18-2012, 05:04 AM

reboot, on the grub boot screen hit "e" to edit, and add a "1" to the kernel options. then "b" to boot. this will log you in as root where you can run "passwd" to set it again. then reboot.

pan64 · 04-18-2012, 05:06 AM

do not reinstall!
http://www.linuxforums.org/articles/...ssword_54.html

Novatian · 04-19-2012, 04:15 AM

I managed to change the password, but it does not accept the new password in the terminal after "su". After a restart, the main password is the same, then the password after my name of the opening screen, the new password was accepted. But not in the terminal.

Could it be a bug?

acid_kewpie · 04-19-2012, 04:16 AM

no, it won't be a bug.

main password? You have a password for each user. including root. if "main" means root here, then good, that's fixed. if you've now forgotten your normal password, you can change that as root.

Novatian · 04-19-2012, 06:14 PM

When Fedora16 starts, it asks for a password, then there is a pictire of a chasm and a sub, with my name and another password request, this latter one I changed as root. Neither passwords are accepted in terminal.

This is a new configuration on my sdhc card, no software downloaded... only been banking and buying with Fedora 16.

acid_kewpie · 04-20-2012, 02:08 AM

a chasm and a sub? What on earth does that mean?

if you run "su - " and enter the correct root password, you'll get root access. I can't think of any reason when this doesn't work perfectly. It's not like sudo where you have a level of granular control around the criteria to execute it, it just works if you know the right password.

can you log in as root on a proper vt? Hit Ctrl+Alt+F2 to log in outside of X