after logging in like root it ask to login again

gabak · 07-12-2010, 06:22 PM

i have fedora 7 server running just zimbra email server.
but i forgot the password.

i used a livecd ubuntu then i went to /etc/shadow i used gedit and i remove the hash between the ": :" then saved file.
i reboot but i still can not logging. and it does a weird thing.
i wrote root then the i hit enter when ask for the password i hit enter.
then the screen clean up by it self then it ask for logging again.
It does nt say that the password is wrong or any other error.

also i went to single-user mode then once i m at # i wrote passwd root
then new password then i reboot but i still have the same problem.
i cant logging.
any idea?

unSpawn · 07-12-2010, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gabak

i have fedora 7 server running just zimbra email server. but i forgot the password.

In the long run losing your root password is not your biggest problem. Fedora 7 is no longer supported or maintained. This means no more security and bug fixes. In short you should either install Fedora-current (F12 I think) or move to a distribution release with a slower paced release schedule.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gabak

i used a livecd ubuntu then i went to /etc/shadow i used gedit and i remove the hash between the ": :" then saved file. i reboot but i still can not logging. and it does a weird thing. i wrote root then the i hit enter when ask for the password i hit enter. then the screen clean up by it self then it ask for logging again. It does nt say that the password is wrong or any other error.

Boot into your Fedora Live CD then look at /var/log/{messages,secure} for clues?
Did anything strange happen before you "lost" your root password?

gabak · 07-12-2010, 11:15 PM

i install fedora 7 cuz zimbra does nt support ubuntu 10.04 they support only ubuntu 6 or 8.
i ll tell u the story , i have a pc up and running fine , til the mobo die. Then i took the hdd to other similar pc with almost the same mobo and it boot but say kernel panic. So i took a new hdd then i install fedora 7 again then i copy from the old hdd usr and etc.
now it boots up just fine but i dont know the password i had use.
Maybe i can copy the hash from other server that i know the password to this new server or just overwrite the shadow file .
what do u think?

Quote:

Originally Posted by unSpawn

In the long run losing your root password is not your biggest problem. Fedora 7 is no longer supported or maintained. This means no more security and bug fixes. In short you should either install Fedora-current (F12 I think) or move to a distribution release with a slower paced release schedule.

Boot into your Fedora Live CD then look at /var/log/{messages,secure} for clues?
Did anything strange happen before you "lost" your root password?

unSpawn · 07-13-2010, 04:46 PM

Usually booting with a Fedora Live CD should be "enough" to use 'passwd' or "safe" utilities like 'chage' and 'vipw' to bypass anything that could keep a file system from accepting changes. Since you're at this point may I suggest installing a supported, maintained distro before copying over any old configs, service or user-owned files? That would solve your passwd problem without investing too much time plus allow you to get on with things in a more safe way.