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Old 05-28-2014, 08:24 AM   #1
unclesamcrazy
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ubuntu 13.10 - reset root password


I have ubuntu 13.10. I have lost root password.
There are several sites which claimed to recover root password in easy steps. I have followed them but I am facing a problem.

I have opened "Advance options". I have selected "root - Drop to root prompt" option but other sites say, I have to run
Code:
# mount -o rw,remount /
but in my case it says,
Code:
Enter root password for maintenance or ctrl+D to continue.
Now I am not able to go on command prompt because I do not know root password.

How should I open command prompt to reset root password.
Please help
 
Old 05-28-2014, 08:35 AM   #2
Habitual
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See How to reset your password in Ubuntu
Specifies recovery mode, not maintenance mode.

Hope that helps.
 
Old 05-28-2014, 08:38 AM   #3
GaWdLy
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I am not an Ubuntu person, so I could be totally off, here. Isn't Ubuntu like most other Linux platforms with a single user mode? Normally, it's handled in the red Hat variants by entering 'single' in the boot command of the kernel at startup.
 
Old 05-28-2014, 08:40 AM   #4
unclesamcrazy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Habitual View Post
See How to reset your password in Ubuntu
Specifies recovery mode, not maintenance mode.

Hope that helps.
Yes I followed the same link. I chose recovery mode option but when I select root. It asks me root password.
 
Old 05-28-2014, 08:43 AM   #5
jdkaye
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I thought ubuntu didn't use root passwords.
Quote:
As default Ubuntu has no password set for the root user. To gain root access you have to type in your own user password. This is the password you set for the first user while installing Ubuntu.
Is it the root password you've forgotten or is it your own?
jdk
 
Old 05-28-2014, 08:54 AM   #6
unclesamcrazy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdkaye View Post
I thought ubuntu didn't use root passwords.

Is it the root password you've forgotten or is it your own?
jdk
You will kill me.
Both passwords (They were random strings for security purpose written on a notebook)...
 
Old 05-28-2014, 09:20 AM   #7
eklavya
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Quote:
Originally Posted by unclesamcrazy View Post
You will kill me.
Both passwords (They were random strings for security purpose written on a notebook)...
I doubt it is your system.
Are you trying to know a way to be inside a Linux system if you don't know user password and root password?
Because if root password has been set then it is better to ask root, he can reset your password.
and if you were root then I remember a dialog of movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Quote:
Jack Sparrow: Technically, I was only captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon.
Davey Jones: Then you were a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless!
 
Old 05-29-2014, 12:50 AM   #8
unclesamcrazy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eklavya View Post
I doubt it is your system.
Are you trying to know a way to be inside a Linux system if you don't know user password and root password?
Because if root password has been set then it is better to ask root, he can reset your password.
and if you were root then I remember a dialog of movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Yes it is my system indeed and unfortunately I am the root because it is my personal computer.
Security purpose is, my siblings.
I would love to tell you my family details but later.
and definitely you will have Oscar for best dialogs

but seriously please help.
I am going to reinstall it. if you have any way, Please tell me.

Thanks...
 
Old 05-29-2014, 01:00 AM   #9
hilyard
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Hit <Ctrl-Alt_F2>
login as usual
once at user prompt, type in
PHP Code:
sudo passwd root 
and follow the directions-- first enter password for User, then enter a "New UNIX Password" twice.
type in
PHP Code:
init 6 
You should be able to login as root (do not do so while connected to any network, as a security suggestion)
 
Old 05-29-2014, 02:04 AM   #10
jdkaye
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@hilyard
From post #6 I had the impression that the OP had forgotten both passwords -- his own and root's. How can he log into a tty without any password?
jdk
 
Old 05-29-2014, 02:56 AM   #11
EDDY1
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Ubuntu doesn't enable root by default.
The only way to enable root is to do it after install, the user has sudo., which acts as root.
All user has to do to enable root is type command
Quote:
sudo passwd root
 
Old 05-29-2014, 04:31 AM   #12
eklavya
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https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LostPassword
You have already tried standard way now tried other two ways mentioned in above url.
 
Old 05-29-2014, 04:57 AM   #13
Shadow_7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by unclesamcrazy View Post
Code:
Enter root password for maintenance or ctrl+D to continue.
That's normally something you get when the bootloader and/or the /etc/fstab of the install get the location of the / filesystem wrong. Using UUIDs is the way to go for that type of thing. At least on my hardware where multiple drives include PATA and SATA drives can make /dev/ names a game of roulette.

Ubuntu doesn't use root passwords. The main user has root priviledges with the use of sudo. By nature of being in the adm and sudo groups.

But...

If you must...

You can break how ubuntu works and set a root password. You can boot a live linux version, and chroot to the ubuntu install and use the passwd command to do that. I don't know how to UNDO that and you should NOT do that, but you can.

For commands you see prefixed with # in examples, try prefixing those commands with sudo first. But by the error message shown, you're not getting to ubuntu to do any of that. You're stuck in bootloader and configuration land.
 
Old 05-29-2014, 05:00 AM   #14
jdkaye
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EDDY1 View Post
Ubuntu doesn't enable root by default.
The only way to enable root is to do it after install, the user has sudo., which acts as root.
All user has to do to enable root is type command
Yes, I asked about that in post = #5 and the OP's response is in #6.
 
Old 05-29-2014, 08:19 PM   #15
Emerson
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You do not need root password in single user mode, you will be given root shell no questions asked.
 
  


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