Linux - NewbieThis Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question?
If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide
This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.
Click Here to receive this Complete Guide absolutely free.
Ok, I'm not exactly a noob, but this is a noob problem.
I'm not sure how or why, but the root password has stopped working. I changed it a few days ago, but no, I did not forget it. I use that root password on a few other computers for which I have root/admin needs. (Is it possible my kids locked root out? Or that it is corrupted?) At any rate, I can no longer log into Yast as root. And yes, I have tried that old windows standby. I shut down and let it sit a while, but the problem persists.
Short of reformatting, is there anything I can do?
I am running Suse 9.1. (I plan to switch to 9.3, as soon as I check into it a bit more.)
Or if you don't have a CD at hand, boot to the lilo splash, highlight the kernel, hit tab, type single, and hit enter to boot into single user mode. Then you can type passwd to change the root password. Reboot and it should work.
If you use grub, google for: grub single user mode.
Thanks guys. I'll give it a shot as soon as I finish with this session. (Any idea how many search results you get when you search for words like "root", "password", and "login"?!)
What you need to do after booting with the rescue disk is mount /dev/hdc1 to a directory, something like /mnt/sysimage. Then you chroot to that directory. Once there you should be able to change your root password with the passwd command.
I would recommend going into single user mode since it takes less time. Since you are using grub you will need to go into edit mode when it comes up. Once there, you need to change the line that has your kernel on. All you have to do is add a "1" after the kernel. For example...
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.