Hi everyone,

As other people on the forum, I've experienced problems while installing Suse 0SS 10.0 : some packages could'nt be extracted from CD (including kernel ). I chose "ignore" to continue with installation, managed to install them by relaunching the install using "update" mode, but was never asked once the root password ! I can boot my system, everything is running fine up to log screen, but since I haven't set the root password nor any other user, I can't log in !

I have read somewhere on this forum that an installation with ACPI disabled might solve the issue, but before I restart the whole process, I'd like to know if something else can be done :

• is there a default root password ?
• can a repair install solve the problem ?

My laptop is nothing near a blast, so I'd prefer avoid the 2h full installation if I can...

Thanks in advance !

select failsafe boot option and set it to init s
this will allow to login without password but with root priviledges. run passwd
and enter root password

Now while still in single mode you can create user/password

You may have other problems later too since installation was evidently borked.

Hi Broch,

Thanks for helping me, even though I've finally decided to reinstall completely... Everything went fine "install with ACPI disabled". Just had to reboot without CD1 in CD-Drive cause it couldn't mount CD2. Great forum for giving all these tips !!!

Anyway, Suse is GREAT : first distro I've seen detecting my Belkin F5D6020v3 wifi card and install it without needing to ndiswrapper anything...

Cheers,

Willy_9

You could have changed with sudo passwd root

to change root password, you need to provide the old one first. He did not know it (never asked for root password).

Ok, boot with other media, mount the drive with RW and modify the shadow file and take out the password

why would I need "any other media"?
In this case you dont need to edit anything. Neither shadow not password files are corrupted.
Boot to single mode and create password.

However if you really like to complicate things:
buy and install second HD. Install another linux (dont use CD), mount disk with first installation, edit files.
Boot to the first installation and create/check root password.
remove second disk and try return it wherever you have bought it.

Anyway, willy_9 resolved his problem.

Yeah, I solved the problem by a full reinstall, since I was expecting other problems as Broch was suspecting... Thanks anyway for your interest in my problem !

Willy

Why do a second installation, use a Live CD and mount the /dev/hda1 or where ever he needs

Hi all!

I had the same problem when instaling suse 11.1 I wasn't asked for the root pass during install, so I searched the internet and varius forums how to make one or if exist a default one. While playing around with sudo root passwd to change one (no success) I changed my user pass with command "passwd". And now the strange thing happened. When I tried to install updates from Yast (when starting Yast) I was asked for Root pass again. I tried luck (stupid but I tried) and I wrote my old user password. It accepted and starting installing.

So solution simpler than was stated here in this forum (no offence, u helped alot of ppl including me to start using linux system) is:

1. change ur USER password by starting terminal and write "passwd"
2. Try to change ur root pass with "sudo root passwd"

Hope I help anyone who comes to this problem

I am newbie at linux but I don't fear any strange things and systems wich will come further in my computing carreer

HF & Best regards

Khorny

It I am correct in opensuse 11 if you not make a separate password for root during install than the user password is also root password.
But you can change it at same time when entering thye user account

Yes u r right. user password is also root password, but u can use ur root password when u change ur user password. It came to conflict, cause root password must not be the same as user password. And yes u can change both with no reboot betwen but u must change ur user password first, so u release ur root password and the u can change ur root password. than u can raboot, or try ur pass.

I installed suse 3 times (fresh instal) allways without entering root password at install, just to check if my statement is true, and it is.

I once did the same, and had LVM mounting issues at the same time. I found that zeroing out the root password from a live disk didn't help. So I simply copied and pasted my regular user's hash to root's /etc/passwd password field and logged in using my regular password. Once I was root, I could change root's password knowing the old password.

Well this issue about the password come up from opensuse 11.
I did install opensuse 11.0 and 11.1 both as a clean install using the same password for root and user
The password contains of alpha and numeric 8 digits long , I do not have any issue with it
It just works fine