can't log in since no user account exists

I installed mandrake 9.1 and since my keyboard batteries were dead during the install process, i just skipped over the part where you assign user accounts, assuming i could log in as root and create them later (since i decided in the mandrake install screen to not create any password necessary for the root login it should be super simple!).

However, it gives me the "localhost login" prompt but since there's no account its pointless, so i get passed it by entering some garbage and then it kicks me to the mere "login" prompt (i assume this is somehow different from the "localhost login" prompt and may be where i can access the "passwordless" root account)

anyway theres no way to get out of the login prompt circle, all combinations of spaces, nothings, etc dont work to get me into the "passwordless" root account so i cant get a prompt to "su" into anyway...

is there any way to get into the system if no data was entered during install?

-noobie need help! noobie dont want reinstall!

You should be able to boot into single-user mode...

If it boots up with LILO, when it says "boot:", type in "linux single".

If it boots up with GRUB, select the linux entry, and type "e" to edit. Select the line that starts with "kernel", and type "e", again. At the end of the line, add a space and "single". Hit [enter] to get back to the main GRUB menu, and type "b" to boot.

Once you're in single-mode, you can reset the root password with...

passwd

You can then reboot to get out of single-mode.

Once you can boot into root, you can then add a user account with...

adduser username

I forget whether it asks you to create a password. If not, just use...

passwd username

...to set it. You can then exit out of root and login as username.

<< EDIT >>

Single-user mode is meant to be used only as a maintenance mode. It allows you to do anything as root, but you don't have any network running. The different runlevels are...

0 -- halt -- don't use this or it will just shutdown
1 -- root only / no network
2 -- multi-user / no network / command-line login
3 -- multi-user / network / command-line login
4 -- not used
5 -- multi-user / network / graphic login
6 -- reboot -- don't use this or it will just reboot

These may be different for other distros.

Originally posted by ranger_nemo You should be able to boot into single-user mode... If it boots up with LILO, when it says "boot:", type in "linux single". If it boots up with GRUB, select the linux entry, and type "e" to edit. Select the line that starts with "kernel", and type "e", again. At the end of the line, add a space and "single". Hit [enter] to get back to the main GRUB menu, and type "b" to boot. Once you're in single-mode, you can reset the root password with... passwd

wow, this worked with the new Red Hat Fedora.

Nice, thanks.

It also automaticly restored the karnel command line after rebooting!

hI :

i HAVE FORGOTTEN MY ROOT PASSWORD FOR RED HAT LINUX AND AM DESPERATE TO GET IT BACK..I TRIED ALL THINGS...BUT NO AVAIL..

I WOLD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS AN Y MEANS FOR SETTING A NEW PASSWORD FOR THE ROOT WITHOUT REINSTALLING LINUX--RED HAT

THANKS IN ADVANCE

HI:

ALSO i DO NOT UNDERSATND WHAT YOU GUYS MEAN BY SINGLE USER MODE AND WHILE BOOTING HOW DO I GET INTO SINGLE USER MODE...

IS IT THERE FOR RED HAT GUI VERSION 9.0

THANKS

When the system first boots, it calls up GRUB. This lets you choose what OS to boot, if you are dual booting with Windows, or, lets you choose which kernel to boot, if you have several kernels on your system.

There should be a count down in the bottom half of the screen. When it reaches zero, it times out, and boots the default choice. This is the choice that is highlighted when GRUB first starts. If you hit any key, it will stop the count down.

You can then use the up-down arrows to choose your Linux kernel, if it isn't already hightlighted. Then, press the 'e' key to start editting that entry. Right now, I'm using a stock Fedora kernel. You will get a page with info similar to...

root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2149.nptl ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb
initrd /initrd-2.4.22-1.2149.nptl.img

Arrow down to the line that starts with 'kernel', and hit the 'e' key again. This will allow you to edit the line you have selected. Move all the way to the end of the line, and add " single" to it. Be sure to put a space between whatever is already at the end and the "single". Hit [enter] once or twice to get back to the main GRUB menu, then hit 'b' to boot the entry you just edited.

This will boot the computer into "single user" mode... It's a runlevel that is for performing maintenance on the computer. You are running as root, and the network is down, so you can do any maintenance or backups that you need.

In this case, you will be changing the root password. Just type in the command 'passwd', and follow the directions for entering a new password. Once you are done, reboot the system with the command 'reboot'. Then, boot normally, and you can login as root with the new password.

HEY!
when lilo boot's up type in:

linux init=/bin/sh

then type:
passwd
change your password and BAM!
Boyakasha 13yo

btw: you might want to remount the root fs as RW...

when i load up my linux box it goes straight from when i press the power button to login: how i go into single user mode with an option like that? I really need my root password also

For some reason I can't get into single user mode by adding "single" at the end of the kernel line. It just goes on and boots up into init3. Any ideas?

HELP for another noobie!!

Where did you add the 'single' word? It should be like this:

kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2149.nptl ro root=LABEL=/ single rhgb OR

kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2149.nptl ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb single

I use fedora and grub....

I was just doing
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2149.nptl ro root=LABEL=/ single
This is red hat 7.3, I never heard of adding rhgb.

I was trying to boot into single user because I'd accidentally overwritten /etc/passwd. Is it possible that a hosed /etc/passwd could cause single user not to work?

I fixed it by booting from a floppy and then remounting my root partition RW.

People,
Trying to log into REDHAT and when I enter the user name and password for root keeps telling me "AUTHENTICATION FAILED"
don´t know what to do, can´t login in to REDHAT. Meaning, it recognized the users, but don´t know why but doesn´t seems to like the user....
can anyone help me ??
THANKS A LOT

Rodrigo

Originally posted by abulafiar People, Trying to log into REDHAT and when I enter the user name and password for root keeps telling me "AUTHENTICATION FAILED" don´t know what to do, can´t login in to REDHAT. Meaning, it recognized the users, but don´t know why but doesn´t seems to like the user.... can anyone help me ?? THANKS A LOT Rodrigo

Mate, this is a warning.

DO NOT DOUBLE-POST.

You already fired up two threads with your problem,
and now start hi-jacking other peoples threads?


Cheers,
Tink

Originally posted by gtkSpeRt HEY! when lilo boot's up type in: linux init=/bin/sh then type: passwd change your password and BAM! Boyakasha 13yo btw: you might want to remount the root fs as RW...

I tried this, but when I got to actually setting the password, I got the message "Cannot lock the password file; try again later." What's up with that? (pout!!!)

Also, a friend told me that I needed to try "mount /" in single mode, so I did that, and I got the following.

mount: /dev/hdc4 already mounted or / busy mount: according to mtab, /dev/hdc4 is already mounted on /