I have loaded my spanking new Centos X86_64 and am looking at the log in screen for the graphical interface... but I didn't set a user password. The root pasword takes me to the command line where I am lost.

Help... thanks in advance

Did the install process give you the option to add a user?

If not you will need to add a user. To do this (as root) type:
-where "pilot" can be any name
-m will create a home directory

see http://webtools.live2support.com/linux/useradd.php for more options

Thanks ! that added a user OK but there is still no password and return log in incorrect ?


I couldn't find an option to add a user in set up. did I miss it?

if you have created the user and only need the password created you can set it as root with the command 'passwd username'

OK I have the user pilot but when I put in the root password I still get an incorrect log in?

sorry but "command 'passwd username' doesn't mean much to me at the moment ?

yep... that would have been handy if I added that

since you have pilot as a user

as root

ok .. let me clarify.
There are binary files (executables) which are commands in the command line. You can find these commands in several folders in / such as /usr/bin or /sbin (there are more). One of the commands passwd can change user passwords. Since root is the administrator he/she can change any users password.

to change the root password root would use the command:
passwd

to change the user mosjeff's password root would only need to use the command:
passwd mosjeff

root also has the power to become any user without a password:
su username

for root to become mosjeff they would use the command:
su mosjeff

you can also create a password while adding a user with useradd by specifying the parameter -p passwordhere

start form scratch as this is not having it

log in to root.

Set a new user as

useradd -m pilot passwd newpassword

log out as root and log back in as above and I should be in??


Thanks in advance

I logged in as root OK

useradd -m username -p password

returned to root no errors

log in screen set username and password and have incorrect log in ??

am I wrong ??

no.
login as root.

in xterm type the following or copy and paste:
useradd -m pilot; passwd pilot

now before you logout ensure the user was created as root type(copy) this:
su pilot

you should now be the user pilot, to check this type:
whoami

it should tell you your pilot, now exit pilot by typing:
exit

this will bring you back to root, to exit root type:
logout

now try to login as pilot with whatever password you created with the passwd command

Logged in as root

root@server root] # useradd -m orange; passwd apple

return

the response was

passd: Unknown username 'apple'

root@server root] #

sorry to try your resolve here ?

You need to use the username for the account you want to change the password for, in your last post this was "orange".

the passwd command takes a username as a parameter not the actual password.

for example if user is orange:
passwd orange

then it will prompt you something like this:
New password:

enter your password. (apple)

then it will prompt you again.. something like this:
Re-enter new password:

re-enter the password you just created. (apple)

That did it !


thank you so much for your help.

Your patience is much appreciated.

Many thanks.