lost password

[devilmaycry4187]

this will probably sound really idiotic... probably because it is... i seem to have forgotten the root password for my version of red hat 8.0

is there any kind of utility to get it back???

[llama]

You can do this fairly easy by booting into single user mode from lilo (the boot screen).

Reboot the machine, and then hit a key to keep LILO from booting automatically. Then bring up a LILO prompt and type in linux single to boot into single user mode. Then from a prompt type passwd and change the root password. Then just type in reboot and you should be good.

[devilmaycry4187]

im new to linux so step by step instructions may help ALOT!

THX!!!

[llama]

No Problem...though I'm not using RedHat, nor do I have LILO installed. I know that RH8 uses it though.

You cant recover that password, but you can change it by rebooting your machine into single user mode. There isn't a gui in this mode ....command line only. From there it is a simple command to change the password.

So do this
1. Reboot your linux machine
2. From the LILO screen (the screen that appears as your computer is booting up) press ctrl+x to get to the lilo prompt.
3. At the prompt type in linux single and hit enter.
4. At this prompt type passwd and then enter the new password.
5. Type reboot and you are done.

Let us know how it goes!

[devilmaycry4187]

im still having problems!!!

when my computer starts it loads the BIOS and the my boot manager runs (GRUB), i tried pressing ctrl+x there... nothing

(it boots win xp pro and redhat)

i had it boot into linux, it showed a bunch of boot things (like testing hardwareand other things) in an automated non-GUI environment and durring the entire boot sequence i was pressing ctrl+x as fast as i could... nothing!

im so confused!!!

if you have aol instant messenger just im me and it will be alot easier.
my screen name is "yoshiman1624"

[llama]

K..so you have GRUB instead of LILO.

The instructions are the same, except how to boot into single user mode. CTRL+X is for LILO. You did good though!

Heres what to do: (quoted from here )

If you are using GRUB, use the following steps to boot into single-user mode:

1. If you have a GRUB password configured, type p and enter the password.
2. Select Red Hat Linux with the version of the kernel that you wish to boot and type e for edit. You will be presented with a list of items in the configuration file for the title you just selected.
3. Select the line that starts with kernel and type e to edit the line.
4. Go to the end of the line and type single as a separate word (press the [Spacebar] and then type single). Press [Enter] to exit edit mode.
5. Back at the GRUB screen, type b to boot into single user mode.

From there linux will boot to a prompt and you can use the passwd command and reboot. Let us know how it goes from there!

[devilmaycry4187]

IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!
thanks alot! i got the new psswrd all set up and i didnt have to RE format!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! THIS SITE RULES!!!

[llama]

Glad it worked! Glad to help as well

(makes me think about that grub password now)