Ubuntu 6.06 - changed /etc/hostname and now sudo is not working.

morrolan · 06-01-2006, 12:02 PM

Hi guys.

I did something really stupid and changed /etc/hostname whilst in GNOME, rebooted and now I have no administrator functionality as sudo is crippled. I'm running Dapper BETA.

If I enter hostname at the command prompt, I get the following:

Code:

me@(none):~$ hostname
(none)
me@(none):~$

All of the other hostname switches return the same value. uname -n is the same.

If I try and use sudo at the command prompt, I get:

Code:

me@(none):/etc$ sudo vi hostname
sudo: unable to lookup (none) via gethostbyname()
me@(none):/etc$

I think it has something to do with an invalid hostname, which was -~me~-

I don't think it likes the tilde's.

Is there a way I can reboot at init 1 WITHOUT requiring superuser access? I know with GRUB before on Hoary I could add "init 1" or whatever it was to the kernel boot line, but there isn't that option to get into GRUB anymore.

Many thanks in advance,
Morrolan

Tinkster · 06-01-2006, 01:42 PM

You can still pass init 1 as a command-line option in grub.

If that doesn't work (that is, if it prompts you for a login
on that runlevel [which it should if it's half-way sane]) you
can use init=/bin/bash
then mount -o remount,rw / and edit any file you please.

Cheers,
Tink

morrolan · 06-01-2006, 03:10 PM

Thanks for that, I fixed it on the train on the way home - GRUB only gives you about a second to select to enter the menu so I must've missed that.

Anyway, I booted from my 6.06 live CD, mounted my / partition as rw, and then edited the /etc/hostname file that way.

Works a charm!

Tinkster · 06-01-2006, 04:10 PM

Cool - congratulations! :}

Cheers,
Tink