Arch Linux

sand_man

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2008-06-10

Posts: 2,164

Re: [Solved] Reset root password

I just use the Arch install as a live/repair disk. Just follow what perbh said a few posts up. This couldn't be simpler.

---

wickyd

Member

Registered: 2007-02-21

Posts: 23

Re: [Solved] Reset root password

Solved! Thank you for all the feedback!

lilith2k3: Knoppix was the right solution!

quarkup: Thank you but I am not dual-booting.

napaim: This is old hardware, it has usb ports, but can't boot from usb.

perbh: Yes, I realise that has been discussed ad nauseam, but the first live CD I tried did not work (Ubuntu). That is why I started this thread, to find another possible route.

xd-0 .. Did you read my first post

I followed: http://www.howtoforge.com/how-to-reset- … knoppix-p2

The only step I needed to amend from the about Howto was to use pwconv to recreated my empty shadow file.

Procyon, thank you very much for your persistence.

lilith2k3

Member

From: Osnabrueck

Registered: 2008-09-01

Posts: 25

Re: [Solved] Reset root password

Knoppix is always one of my preferred livedistros for such tasks
Much more reliable than Ubuntu.

Last edited by lilith2k3 (2009-03-19 09:06:27)

adamklunick

Member

From: Springfield, IL

Registered: 2010-12-10

Posts: 1

Website

Re: [Solved] Reset root password

I know this is flagged as solved, but I figured I would give my solution.

My setup and circumstances:
- VMServer running without physical access
- disabled remote iso mounting
- unknown root password

My solution:
- boot
- press e when the GRUB menu comes up
- changed 'ro' to 'rw single init=/bin/bash'
- press return
- press b
- when shell access is available
  - vi /etc/shadow
  - replace the root password with a known user password
  - /sbin/reboot -f
- when reboot completes
  - login as root
  - passwd

I figured I would post this solution as you do not need to mount any LiveCD.

Hope this helps, albeit a bit late.