oh no, i forgot my root password
 

help, i forgot my root password, is there a way of changing it so i can use linux again

i dont want to have to re-install, as everything else is working fine this time around

btw i'm using mandrake 8.1, and i dont have a floppy drive :D

Try getting linux into single mode. Or pass init=/bin/bash when booting with lilo. Then use passwd to change the password. If that doesn't work then try with a boot disk. Mount the partitions in /mnt and then run:
chroot /mnt /usr/bin/passwd

when lilo loads, do a ctrl x and just run "linux single" or "linux init 1" this should boot linux into single user mode. i.e. root without entering a password. then just run "passwd" to set it again.

i'm just about to try to get into single usermode again
last time when i type Linux-Mandrake single
it didn't work

btw the boot images for lilo that i have is Linux-Mandrake and Windows-200Pro

so i dont need to have a -single or -init 1 etc
anyway brb

You could try getting the pass file as normal user and brute force it... should not be your first choice though! Brute forcing takes very long...

-Progster

just tried the init 1 option,
and it didn't work still booted x auto
about to try the /bin/bash
option
brb:smash:

ok that almost worked
when i did the init=/bin/bash option i got to the console in i presume single user

but got an error when i tried to passwd root

something about pwdb being locked by another resource

would i need to remount the root filesystem in rw mode,

and if so how do i do that?

mount -o rw,remount /

you bloody beauty,
it worked,
you guys and gals are legends
thankgod i didn't have to reinstall:D:D:D:D:D