so you did try to install - what?
usually during the installation the "default" user name and password should be entered, you can choose what you want.
But it may depend on the distro you installed - or you are trying to install.

If this is a brand new install, you are in fact being asked to specify the username and passwd you want to be created
It is NOT asking you to guess an existing user/oasswd

If you already did the installation, you would have been required to create at least one user with a password and when you try to boot the installed system, you select or enter that user name and then will be prompted for athe password. Did you actually do the install or are you referring to the installation DVD/flash drive which will ask for a user name and password as part of the install?

During the install it will ask you to register a Username and password for you to use, is this the stage you're at?
It's not asking for you to log in, but you need to supply the info initially so you can use it to access the system after installation. Mint doesn't use a root and user password, only the user password needs registration.

Privilege elevation to root status in Mint (and Ubuntu for that matter) is by using the sudo command.

I may well have got what you're telling us completely wrong but I can't think where else you'd be asked for that information during an install.

Play Bonny!

2 members found this post helpful.

-maybe try-: replacing that whole "ro quiet splash single" with: rw init=/bin/sh
(the whole 'concept' of -WHICH name/pwd WHERE?- can get really confusing!)

I 'voted' for #19. Even a tablet like iPad asks you to pick a username, when first used. Good luck. You are lucky to have a computer that can run even a tiny Linux! Study hard and you will get it working. And have what is called "thick skin", in case a Guru gets frustrated from watching you struggle with a totally NEW to you concept, that they mastered thousands or millions of commands ago! ��

When you installed Mint you had a screen where you chose a username and password- just enter whatever that might be.