Help! realtime help w linux password

[CanuckAmok]

Link to the original post:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=242x13142

[Omphaloskepsis]

1. Nasty but it might work..

Boot from a Ubuntu live CD...
Mount the linux partition in rw mode :: mount -o rw /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1
Chroot into the partition i.e. :: su chroot /mnt/hda1 /bin/bash
Change the password with passwd :: man passwd ------- for help



That is really sloppy instructions... Good luck..

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. Let me see

There is some vagueness in the advice below since I never used SUSE

You must have a SUSE rescue CD (the first installation CD usually doubles as a rescue CD).

Boot from the CD, in rescue mode.

It should offer you the option of performing a "chroot", that means entering a command line that acts like you're in the installed OS.

From there, all you have to do is:

"passwd root" to set the new administrative password.

For creating a normal user account, do this:

useradd -c "CannuckAmock J. Smith" camock
passwd camock

Enter camock's password twice, hit Ctrl-D a few times - the machine should reboot now - and now you can log in as "camock" with this user's password.

I don't know SuSE, but it probably has some settings screens that, should you ever want to fiddle with, you'll have to supply the root password instead - the one you set first with "passwd root".

Don't log in as root for normal computer use. It is not kosher.

[Omphaloskepsis]

3. This would be better advice than mine..

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. Something else - deleting the old user's files

Users' files are usually under /home. To get read of the previous owner's files, do this:

1) Open a terminal screen
2) Enter "root mode" by typing the "su -" command. Enter the root password.
3) Type the "ls /home" command. You'll see your own directory and those of the other user(s).
4) For any of the "alien" names you see there, do this:

userdel -r alienname

[CanuckAmok]

5. No boot disks

I fogot to mention.... I have no CDs. I'm completely on my own.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

6. Oooooo-kay. So let's start by downloading and burning a live-cd linux distribution.

This one will do: http://www.knopper.net/knoppix-mirrors/index-en.html

[CanuckAmok]

8. Eep. N

No access to a CD burner right now, either.

I guess I'm screwed unless I can reach the previous owner.

[CanuckAmok]

9. DING DING DING!

Found it.

User name: root
Password: passwd


With thanks to:

http://forums.suselinuxsupport.de/index.php?showtopic=14201

[Little Wing]

7. If you used Windows 98 you just could hit 'cancel'

Who's the smarty pants now? :eyes: