ASUS Eee PC 4G . Can't download. Forgotten password

lissajous · 03-31-2012, 01:29 AM

Son gave me an ASUS Eee PC 4g. Originally had Windows XP. He installed Ubuntu on it. When I tried to install newer version needed to have administrator password. Son doesn't remember it. Followed instructions on How to Reset Any Linux Password. But--couldn't get past the "splash single" line. The recovery menu didn't come up.

Slackyman · 03-31-2012, 02:19 AM

Reboot your computer.
Soon after the BIOS screen press and hold the SHIFT key and the grub menu will appear.
Move your selection by arrows keys and choose a "recovery mode" item.
After that you have to choose the "root" option and you will be in the root prompt.
Type

Code:

passwd username

where username is the username of your account and reset your password by chosing another one.

lissajous · 03-31-2012, 03:35 AM

OK. Got to the recovery mode item, then root option pressed e for edit. Typed in new user name and password after the prompt and hit enter. Back to root option with new username and password. Pressed b to boot. Went through grub, stopped with give root password for maintenance. Not able to type anything after blinking prompt. Says (or type Control D to Continue): That took me back to log-in, tried new username and password, but didn't work. I can still login on my side, but when I tried again to download via the upgrade manager this error message popped up. Failed to run /usr/bin/update-manager '-- dist-upgrade' as user root. The underlying authorization mechanism (sudo) does not allow you to run this program. Contact the system administrator. BTW BIG mahalo for your suggestions.

Slackyman · 03-31-2012, 03:38 AM

Try to use "passwd root" with sudo from your normal account.

Code:

sudo passwd root

This would change the root password.

rokytnji · 03-31-2012, 04:01 AM

Wondering if when you go with a Ubuntu Upgrade on a 4 gig SSD drive if it has the room for a Ubuntu dist-upgrade. I run AntiX / on my primary 4 gig SSD and /home on my secondary 16gig SSD on my EEEPC 900. I run as root in terminal

Code:

apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade

regularly on my 900 in AntiX since Wed May 04, 2011. I have to clean the cruft and jump through certain hoops to keep my 4 gig SSD install around 3 gigs. Initial install of AntiX Full iso came in at about 2 gigs on a virgin install. AntiX is smaller than Ubuntu as far as I know. So even if you fix the password thing. I'll be curious if it does not fail when you do the upgrade and get a disk space error during it.

In case you want to try something different ,(Debian testing based, rolling release), though you probably are comfortable with Ubuntu and Gnome Desktop. Just throwing my instruction for installing AntiX at you.

http://antix.freeforums.org/antix-11...hed-t3104.html

Last comment in thread was a EEEPC 700 owner.

lissajous · 03-31-2012, 04:18 AM

OK. I have my homework cut out for me. Quite the ignoramus, but will find out what and where sudo is on this ASUS.

TobiSGD · 03-31-2012, 05:36 AM

1. Start the machine
2. Press and hold the Shift key to get the grub menu
3. Press "e" to edit the boot command line
3. Add init=/bin/bash to the command line
4. Exit the edit mode and press b to boot the system
5. Launch the command passwd YOURUSERNAMEHERE and type in a new password, the cursor will not move or show anything you type in, but this is normal behavior, just type it in nonetheless
6. Type reboot to reboot the machine.

michaelk · 03-31-2012, 05:55 AM

Ubuntu by default has root locked and it does not have a password. You use your son's user password.
http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/ubuntu-...ault-password/

I agree with rokytnji that you might not have enough room on the SSD to upgrade.

Slackyman · 03-31-2012, 08:48 AM

Yes, you're right, michaelk. I've forget that Ubuntu disable root account by default so the problem could be of disk-space nature or anything else.