Re: Help! Linux problem

..might depend on the flavor of linux, but my redhad dosnt ask for
the current password when you are root changing roots password.. if
this is so, would save a lotta work. :)
but otherwise, yeah that should work.

>
> > >It has
> > > RH 5.2 on it. I cant get logged onto the system as root (or any

thing

> > > else) because of a forgotton password. Can anybody help. I only

have

> > > the original install diskette and CD. Can anybody help?
> > >
> > > Don
> > Don,
> > You can use a recovery installation of Linux on a floppy to change
> > the root password.
>
> You don't even need to do this. You need to start the system
> single-user, then you can use whatever tool is most easy to fix the
> problem. probably the passwd program to set the root password to
> a known value.
>
> Booting single-user is done by entering the kernel name (might be
> linux or rtlinux) and then the word single, so it looks like this :
>
> LILO boot: linux single
>
> When it finished booting, you should be at a root prompt, signified
> by the # prompt character.
>
> Now the fun begins. The passwd utility doesn't allow you to change
> a password unless you already know it. So, you need to use a text
> editor to blank out the field in the /etc/passwd file.
>
> There should be a line in /etc/passwd that looks like this :
> root:nzv19ex21:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
>
> The garble following root: is the encrypted password. Just blank

that

> all out, so it reads like
>
> root::0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
>
> and then exit from the editor, saving the file. If you have emacs
> installed,
> you would edit it with
>
> emacs /etc/passwd
>
> and you can change the text on the screen. Type ctrl/X ctrl/C to

exit,

> type Y to tell it to save the file.
>
> now, type
>
> passwd
>
> and it will guide you through entering a new password. I think you

just

> enter a blank line for the old password request.
>
> Jon