Unknown login username and password
 

Hi, I am new to Linux, I have recently bought a mini laptop for my daughter and it has linux installed. After initial looking through the linux software, (which I love) she has somehow managed to put in a user name and password, but has no idea what it is.

How do I login without this information.

Hi Gaby, welcome to LQ!

The short answer: only with some difficulty.

Can you tell us which distribution of Linux the laptop has installed?
That would greatly help giving you more targeted responses.



Cheers,
Tink

Where do you get a prompt for username/password? When you switch on a computer(after operating system boot) or when you are trying to run some program/perform software installation/perform other administrative tasks(when you already logged into a system and able to work with something)?

Not sure as it came preinstalled on computer, and there is no paperwork attached. Only arrived yesterday. Would it be easier to uninstall the program and reinstall. I have some linux discs, (older version, but could then update once installed.

Prompt comes when computer is turned on

The only thing I can do is get into startup menu before the prompt if I press F10

Lets start with what is the brandname and model of the notebook, this can tell use maybe which Linux distribution and release version your are using...

OK Thanks Dummy in Linux. Brandname etc

HP Mini 110-1081TU Netbook

1 BIOS
2 LILO
2.5 GRUB
3 FAILSAFE-DOS
3.5 FAILSAFE-Gaphical-Text-Mode

all are or have prompts.

Could you tell us more about the numbers of prompts or menue you can go ?

No menu, when turned on it just prompts for user and password

Seems to be an Ubuntu derivative. Did you happen to log into it yourself, ie with your own account?

No hadn't set up my own account yet. Worked perfectly yesterday, with no need to login, today turned it on and required login

Well assuming Ubuntu is correct, give this a try (seems pretty straight forward):
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-rec...er-ubuntu.html

grail thanks for you help but

Seems to work up until putting in a new password, comes up with

root@(none):/# Enter new UNIX password:

I put new password in and set, then go to type reboot. Comes up with

#shutdown: Unable to send message: Connection refused.

Not sure what to do next

Thanks in advance

Well assuming new password has been set for your daughter's login, to confirm you should have received 2 prompts and 1 message:
If you received all of the above it should be changed successfully, so you can force shutdown by holding down the power button.
Leave for 10 seconds or so and then restart.

Fingers crossed :)

While startup try to get to GRUB-Bootloader-Menu by pressingESC-key.
There would show up a menu.
Choose one of the entries by using the up/down-keys.
Press 'e' for editing the menu-entry and write the whole syntax on a paper.
It is nasty but has to be done.
The posts at http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ssword-802742/
will help you much.
Then press 'c'
grub> command-line will be provided.
First press TAB-key to get an overview.
Then try:
>root (hd0,0)
>find /boot/TAB
All files in that directory will show up.
The kernels and initrd are everywhere slightly different.
>kernel ....
>initrd ....
>bootENTER
An QWERY-keyboard would be helpful, too.

Good Luck !

To add an Ubuntu foot note to the above correct response. Ensure you reset the password for the user account. As by default Ubuntu does not allow user "root" to login via a traditional login screen, only at the command line.

Power OFF the computer or better RESET and start new. 'shutdown -r' or 'shotdown -h' did not work for me either.
Then start the computer !
Laptops often have no RESET-button.
Hopefully it does not harm.
Laptops seem to be more vulnerable.

The shutdown command is: "shutdown -n now" now being time frame for the shutdown

Thankyou Grail

I left it for a while, before I threw it in frustration. Finally managed to get it to work. Took a few goes to get it to actually work. But have finally got in.

Thank you again

Thankyou also to all others who replied to my query. I think the problem is now solved. I look forward to exploring the world of linux

Good luck Gaby. Glad it is working now, please mark query as SOLVED. This helps others know you had a solution that worked :)

First of all I want to apologize for »shotdown . (Simeon and Levy their swords are murderous weapons)
I want to add that I found out about how to reboot the computer after password-change : Control+Alt+Del did "as usual". Interesting commands at that shell are «help, info, top, ls, dir, lsmod, lsusb, man(ual)».

This I added as a third option to my /boot/grub/menu.lst for managing future password-trouble:

With the high resolution vga=794 that often is not possible on laptops, I could see all help-output at once. Also editors ed, vi(m) and nano are possible.
It seems also be possible to go on further after password-change by starting the graphical environment by using the commands «startx and gdm» and most likely also «twm, fvwm(2), kdm a.s.o.» Because of using «ro readonly» {after I used «rw» at one 8.04 installation that wrote "." to all inodes and sectors running filesystem-repair/check fsck at failsafe with all the «root/sudoers» trouble that I did not understand the first times} I could not startX because it wants to write a special file or folder to the harddisk when started from this shell.
I hope the lappy survived that torture.
I have the problem that my slateblock does not start when I want it to; just leaving it without power by battery and cable for hours or even days seems to empty some condensators; so I put my lappy to «sleep» mode until the next day (not «hibernate»-mode).It is said that a rechargeable battery could be loaded up to 1000 times; so the battery may last two or three years. And then the technology also is further to get a new one (64-bit perhaps).

ps.:Thanks for the time ("now") correction, Carl!