Forgot root password

Jay Smith · 10-10-2004, 11:43 AM

I forgot my root password. Mandrakelinux 10.

I searched the forums but it's all stuff about at boot type stuff. I boot using a graphical bootloader and I can't type anything in at booting.

Any relatively easy way of reseting or finding the root password apart from the obvious reinstalling?

pauloref · 10-10-2004, 11:47 AM

I am much sorry, but i must tell you you are DOOMED. ALWAYS ALWAYS remember your root pasword. I never forgot it, and i realy think the only way is reinstalling or restoring. I think you can restore your root password with the CDs. I am not shure.

darkleaf · 10-10-2004, 12:17 PM

No solution for you. But do you have a normal user account? From your post I understand you only have a root account? That's not a good idea cause you'll be majorly screwed if you catch a virus or are hacked cause they have full permissions.

egag · 10-10-2004, 12:17 PM

hi there,

i don't think it's a good idea to put a "howto remove passwords " on this forum.

egag

Jay Smith · 10-10-2004, 12:20 PM

I have a normal user account. I forgot my root password.

darkleaf · 10-10-2004, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jay Smith
I have a normal user account. I forgot my root password.

Good

I was just wondering about you saying you couldn't type anything at boot in your graphical login. Like you had no normal account

BTW try some googling this one might help but there are a lot of hits:
http://www.linuxgazette.com/node/view/8834

twilli227 · 10-10-2004, 01:33 PM

Quote:

I searched the forums but it's all stuff about at boot type stuff. I boot using a graphical bootloader and I can't type anything in at booting.

You need a boot disk or the install cd to boot into "single user mode" and make any corrections necessary.
This thread will point you in the right direction:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...+root+password

As far as giving out this kind of info, if a person has physical access to the computer, then there is not alot anyone can do about it. Pysical access = owned. Yes there are things that can and should be done to secure your box. You know your system better than anyone else. Take the appropriate action(s)

servnov · 10-10-2004, 04:53 PM

john the ripper

Jay Smith · 10-12-2004, 01:37 PM

No help. At startup, i highlighted linux and typed e, nothing happened.

you say "Pysical access = owned" but the link had no information for me.

Thank you for trying however.

vasudevadas · 10-12-2004, 03:50 PM

Hey, as a last resort he could always reinstall from the Mandrake CDs, and choose NOT to format the partition where /home is mounted (i.e. format only the root partition). This will leave all the personal files intact - you'll have to reinstall any software you subsequently installed though.

linux_terror · 10-12-2004, 03:57 PM

If you are using GRUB, boot and hit escape at the graphical boot screen, it will take you to a shell, type in singleuser and boot. Hopefully you didn't password protect GRUB with the forgotten password.

linux_terror

vasudevadas · 10-12-2004, 04:01 PM

It's Mandrake so it'll be Lilo.

darkleaf · 10-12-2004, 04:24 PM

Little question, from the above 2 posts my conclusion is the best protection for your root password is using the same one for lilo/grub?

vasudevadas · 10-12-2004, 04:30 PM

I'd say use a different one. But I don't have one. I'd totally forget it.

linux_terror · 10-12-2004, 05:00 PM

mandrake has grub too