Problem determining what version of ubuntu linux i am running
 

Hello All,

I have ubuntu loaded on my laptop and it is running ok! :)

However, I cannot sudo root. I don't remember the password I set! :(

I want to determine the correct version of Linux, however I was told to
try the following items:
$ cat /etc/process/version which gave me: Linux version 3.0.0-14-generic

and

$ cat /etc/issue which gave me: Ubuntu 11.10 \n \l

what does this mean?

After reading your subject, and then reading this, I want to ask you a question - What do you think this is? Have you even gone to the Ubuntu website? I am not being mean whatsoever, I am just trying to make you realize what you are looking at.

Cheers,

Josh

You are running Ubuntu 11.10 and here are instructions how to reset a forgotten password:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/resetpassword

"sudo root" is a meaningless command in Ubuntu as explained here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo

@ Reply
 

Hi cajunchief,

You can run the following command to see the Kernel/OS version you are running on:

It will ask you for the password and you have to put your user account password. If you want to see that in plain then you can run the following command;

@ Reply
 

@ snowpine,

Wrong. There is a root user in Ubuntu. It is just that during install the password of root user is set to random hash value. The normal accoun that you create during install has got full sudo access but that does not mean that Ubuntu does not have root account.

In addition you can reset the root password using the normal user account got created during install. I will not discuss that as it is out of thread scope.

Thank you for partially summarizing the helpful link I provided.

Did you read the OP and do you have anything helpful to offer?

@ Reply
 

@ snowpine,

You're welcome. Unedited version of your post read as "There is no root user in Ubuntu" so I replied to that in my post 5. I have already replied to OPs query in post 4 I guess.

I don't think so OP need root access to find out version of Ubuntu he is running on. He can simple run the commands using sudo.

If he want to reset root user password in Ubuntu he does not need to go to single user mode and do that. He can run the following command and that will suffice:

First it will ask for sudo user password and then it will give you the prompt for setting up a new root password.

@ OP,

You do not remember root password because you didnt set any during the install. As far as I know Ubuntu does not ask you to setup root user password during install.

Remember you can run the command mentioned above to set up a new root password. Remember never login as root to GUI unless it is required. You can use your normal with sudo to perform most of the tasks.

T3RM1NVT0R--

Thank you for the clarification, I have edited my previous post to make it more relevant to the OP's query (we must have cross-posted).

Everything you say is true, but it is a very selective reading of the more complete documentation available here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo

I encourage cajunchief to read & understand this material (not a brief summary on some random forum) and make the best security decisions for his/her needs. :) (The psychocat tutorial I linked to above should remedy the immediate forgotten password issue.)

@ Reply
 

@ snowpine

You're welcome. Just wanted to make sure you that you are not on the wrong track. No doubt that the links you posted are good.

+1 for the links.

There is absolutely no need to run those commands as root, you can do it as normal user. Becoming root when not need is bad practice, I would think.

+1 to that. Only use root when needed.