In that sorta situation if you had logged out you can always boot up in single user mode and change root's passwd or copy a backed up version in :-).
jeremyb. > From: Nick Rout <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2002/04/30 Tue PM 04:28:34 GMT+12:00 > To: CLUG <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: how to stuff up your day > > As typical boot scripts do in floppy distros, it wrote from scatch new > versions of : > > /etc/passwd > /etc/profile > /etc/resolv.conf > /etc/networks > > as well as a whole lot of other crap. Luckily I had stayed logged in as > root, and had some backups of the most important files (/etc/passwd was > a REAL worry until I realised there was a backup of it dated [date > deleted cos its so embarrassing], and I'd only created one user since > then!). Handy hint: in redhat every time you make a user, it makes a > group of the same name, and /etc/group was untouched, so I could see > what had been created. > > Luckily it is all ok again now (I was able to go thru the boot script > and understand everything it did and reverse it). Luckily too I didn't > panic and log out, as I may not have been able to get back in! > > Morals > > 1. never never ever do anything as root except as absolutely necessary > > 2. don't panic > > (The latter is probably (c) Douglas Adams) > > -- > Nick Rout <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >
