21st April 2005, 15:07

Junior Member

Join Date: Apr 2005

Posts: 6

Forgot root password

I've forgotten the root password of my desktop computer.
Is there a way I can set a new one so that I can login as root again?
I know this shouldn't have happened, and I could beat my head on my table all day long... Grrrr...

Leno

21st April 2005, 16:58	#2
tylerdurden Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 16	Get a rescue CD (e.g. from here: http://rescuecd.sourceforge.net/download.html), boot your computer from it, then login as root (if you use the rescue CD mentioned before, the password is rescue, then mount your hard disk, chroot to it and set a new password for root: Code: mount -t auto /dev/hda1 /mnt cd /mnt chroot /mnt passwd root Reboot your PC (don't forget to take out the RescueCD), and should be able to login as root. tyler

22nd April 2005, 11:01	#3
leno Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 6	Thanks tyler, you were a great help. I have root access again! Leno

8th October 2005, 23:40	#4
themachine Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Texas, USA Posts: 91	/bin/bash it! Just a reference for anyone else reading this... you can just as easily change root's password with out the use of a LiveCD. reboot the box at the boot loader do the following: LILO: linux init=/bin/bash GRUB: type 'e' to edit the default kernel line then 'e' again on the line that starts with 'kernel' add 'init=/bin/bash' to the end of the 'kernel' line <ENTER> type 'b' to boot it once you're at a /bin/bash prompt... remount the filesystem read/write (will be ro when bin/bash'ing) # mount -o remount,rw / then change the passwd # passwd root remount the filesystem read/only (keep things clean) # mount -o remount,ro / CTR-ALT-DELETE (though this will result in a kernel panic most likely) reboot the system and you should be good to go. This however will not work if you've locked down the boot loader and have misplaced that password as well.