no i dont have an active cd writter, its missing cables n stuff so not right now
and the partition is /dev/hda2

so you're preparing to test?

yea, i changed that /etc/shadow line to just "root::" and im already in the system running with out a mouse, but i worked my way to a shell, and i try to login as root, nothing happens, and now im trying to change its password and still nothing... so what can i do now?

you need to get a liveCD, somehow: knoppix, or gentoo, or ANYTHING.
that will allow you to mount your root filesystem, and then you can 'chroot' in (change root) so that you can modify your system.

chroot to where? on the rescue system i did that and for i got from it, it was that it moves it somewhere or something, or grants permits, tell me more about using it and changing it like that

you may have obliterated your bakcup shadow file somehow, which is what you really need.

in recovery mode: will passwd allow you to do anything at all?

well you dont need any liveCd or such. Imagine how people dealt with similar problwms before liveCD?
editing shadow is not enough obviously.

and this one:
"root::"
is wrong. It should be
root::::

four colons, not two

It is easy to reset password. Really no big deal:
Step 1
disconnect computer form the network (you will work with root priviledges)

Step 2
Boot from your first install CD and press F1 at the first screen, then choose "Rescue System" from the menu and at the prompt type:

root (You do not need a password.)

Step 3
at the prompt:

# cd /etc
# vi passwd
Next, press "i"

look for root line (something like):

root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash

delete the "x" after "root:" leave the colons!

Now you should have something like:

root::0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash

Save file and exit:

Press ESC then wq and enter

Next edit:
# vi shadow

Press ESC then "i"

root::::

If there is something after :::: press ESC then "x" to remove symbol under cursor

Save the file:
ESC next wq


reboot your computer, log in as your normal user, and from the console window enter:

$ su
# passwd

And set the new root password. Log out as root

thank you for clarifying what I was trying to remember

hello,

i think u have to edit the file /etc/passwd and then remove the X so that it tells we dont have password. and also in the shadow file .

else instead do this

at boot loader press 'a' to do changes( Linux is the title displayed )

boot: Linux init=/bin/sh



init=/bin/sh is passed as kernel

This causes the system to boot the kernel and run /bin/sh instead of its standard init. Now you have gained root privileges and a root shell. Since / is currently mounted read-only and many disk partitions have not been mounted yet, you must do the following to have a reasonably functioning system.

init-2.03# mount -n -o remount,rw /
init-2.03# mount -avt nonfs,noproc,nosmbfs
init-2.03# cd /etc
init-2.03# vi passwd
init-2.03# vi shadow


u can refer

the link:

http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/re...h-tips.en.html