Red Hat Linux 6.2 Can not login
 

Hi, Guys. This is my first post here. I recently received Linux Red Hat 6.2. I have never used Linux before. I installed it on an old computer hoping to learn Linux as I want to get away from Microsoft. I am at the point where it is asking for my login information. I typed in my username, Lew, but it will not let me type in my password. Since I am the only one using this computer, I made both my root and username password the same. I tried to type in my password, but he cursor doesn't move. What did I do wrong?

Thanks,
Lew

It does not show anything when you type the password by design. After entering the password, simply hit the Enter key. If you are using Red Hat, you will need a subscription in order to use it beyond the trial period.

Hi, All I get when I try to login is "login incorrect". I tried my username with a capital L and lower case l. Either way I still get the same thing. I didn't know that I would have to have a subscription for an older Linux program like 6.2. Thanks, Lew

Hi...

Welcome to the forum :)

If it's the version I'm thinking (see general RHL description here,) you don't but it's quite old! I'm not sure you will find much that will work on it. It might be better to use a current lightweight distribution like Lubuntu, AntiX or Zorin OS 9 Lite. ;)

What are the hardware specs of your system, like CPU and memory?

Regards...

Hi, Ardvark71,

Thanks for your reply. I had Windows 7 loaded on the computer, but wanted to go with Red hat. I bought the program off Ebay for $1.00 plus shipping. I loaded Linux on the computer but can't sign in no matter what I do.

My computer is an older Pentium 3, 1.4 Ghz. I have 3 strips of 133 memory in it. I'm not sure what video card I have in it, as I built the computer at least 5 years ago. I just upgraded the processor from a Pentium 3, 800 Mhz. a couple of days ago. The memory is what was in it from the start. I want to learn Linux so that I can get away from Microsoft products, so I tried to install the RH 6.2, but I can't login. I'm really new to Linux, and I'm just trying to get the computer up and running so that I can see what Linux is all about.

Thanks,
Lew

If it's a Pentium III system, then yes, you probably should stick with what you have. Even the current lightweight distributions, except for possibly LegacyOS, wouldn't work with your system. ;)

The only idea I have is to try using a password cracker to find out the password. Here is one for Linux. :)

Regards...

Obtaining credentials by cracking is not a valid suggestion on LQ. Please do not blithely offer that suggestion again.


If this is "Red Hat Linux" then please do not install this deprecated, unsupported previous millennium distribution. If this is "Red Hat Enterprise Linux" then please do yourself a favour and install CentOS 6.7. Please read centos.org and its Wiki if you have new user questions.


Then please visit https://access.redhat.com/documentat...erprise_Linux/ and read the RHEL-6 installation and system administration documentation. It'll help but take it slow and don't read everything at once (reading everything twice though may help ;-p).


Ideally Linux isn't some "free alternative" to another OS. You should want to install Linux to see if using it fits you. (Sure, if you in the process are able to migrate from an OS that still has more holes than Swiss cheese, cool.)


First the assumption which is nice but wrong. Each user must have a separate password. If you don't understand the reason for that, or if you would like to shrug it off and "move on", then maybe Linux is not your cup of tea. See if you can log in as root. Then set a different password for your unprivileged user account, log out and log in with your "Lew" account. If the GUI gives you problems try a terminal window with the CTRL+ALT+Fn key combo where n > 0 < 8.

In case your passwords do not work log in using single user mode to reset the password, single user mode gives you root prompt with no questions asked - careful with that.

if this is the ANCIENT rh6 update 2 from 3 April 2000

it is 15 YEARS OUT OF DATE

think of it as win95 or win98
in has not been supported in a very long time
DO NOT USE !!!


rehdat changed names on the operating system in 2003
RH9 ( redhat Linux 9 ) went to RHEL2.0 ( RedHat Enterprise Linux 2 )

and a update RHEL3 very soon after

so this MIGHT be a more recent RHEL6 --- the CURRENT is RHEL 6.7

and RHEL is NOT free !!!!
you have to buy the required support contract !!!
-- there are NO!!! "if's and's or but's " on that !!!!


basically it looks like you were ripped off for the ($1 + shipping)


for a old Pentium3 computer
have a look at the STILL SUPPORTED!!!!
CentOS 5.11
i had cent5 running just fine on a p4 from 2001 with 512 meg of ram

if all you have is the odd amount 133 meg

you might have problems with anything that is still supported

you should be able to use " Damn Small Linux "

connecting to the internet with the antique RH6.2 will need a also antique Netscape navigator
and a "America On Line CD " from 2000
and a 24 k dial up connection



just HOW!!! did you do that ?

please be VERY specific

you would have been instructed to set up a root account using the name "root"
and set a password ( 6 to 8 ch long -this was the year 2000 after all)

Hi, John VV,

I thought I did good by buying the RH 6.2. I only have the older computer to play with and the RH 6.2 seemed like it would be a good match for it. Like I said, new to all this. Being an older system, I didn't think that the newest version of RH Linux would work. As unSpawn has mentioned, I didn't know that I had to use two different passwords, one each for root and user. I can't login as root either. I guess I'll just chalk this up to inexperience, go out and buy a new computer, and put RHEL 6.7 on it and go from there. I don't know what else to do.

As far as how I set my passwords, when the time came that I was asked to put in my root password and username, I just used Lew as my root name and then put in my password when it asked for that. I then did the same when it asked for the regular username and password.

if you are going to use RHEL

then buy the current RHEL7.1
the standard 1 year contract is $299 ( USD) PER YEAR

or
use the FREE rebuild of redhat
CentOS 7.1

but rhel is NOT a "new to linux" user friendly

the documentation assumes that you ARE already an experienced redhat administrator

A lot of people like Linux Mint as a "new to linux " DESKTOP user friendly operating system

Redhat is targeted more to the headless ( NO GUI ) text only server
or to the Office where you have a IT staff to support it

Hi...

Being careless was not my intention nor was I aware of breaking any rule. It was the only thing I knew at the moment to suggest that might help the OP fix his problem. Do you have any better suggestions that perhaps I'm not aware of?

Regards...

No "good" deed or thought goes unpunished, unfortunately...

One BIG problem with the very old distros is that they would be vulnerable on the internet and would not be able to run more recent browsers and email clients.

Do you have the ability to burn a CD or DVD? If so there are a few good free choices that would work well on that machine and give you more recent browsers and other applications.

Puppy Linux is not a bad choice, or DSL, but I bet something like even a recent Slackware with Fluxbox or Xfce desktop would work well on it as well. Possibly others. If you had Window$ 7 running on it then any recent Linux should do pretty well!

I am a Slacker and generalaly recommend it. Not for everybody but easy to try out!

You may need to ask a little help with some of them but you seem to have an even keel and interact well with those here so you are already over the first couple of hurdles!

And welcome to LQ!

As a result of LQ Rules #14: "Posts containing information about cracking, piracy, warez, fraud (..)" and due to potential issues (ownership, verification of nfo, damages) certain topics like for example breaking encryption or circumventing network restrictions are generally considered NSFLQ. Its a thin line though, as goes with interpreting requests always, there'll be exceptions. As far as suggestions go single user mode (see Emersons post) or using an installer CD in Live or rescue mode could work.

Thank you for the heads up and the suggestions. Somehow, I missed the rule you mentioned. My apologies. :)

Regards...