Mike, thanks, I googled it and found these instructions which did it too. I should have done that first before sending the email but it's late and i was frustrated...thanks for the reply.
john use the bootdisk that you used to install Linux. At the prompt, you can manually mount the root Linux partition from your hard drive and remove the root password. if your root linux partition is /dev/hda2, use these commands after logging in as "root": mount /dev/hda2 /mnt cd /mnt/etc edit the "shadow" file to remove root's password. pico shadow At the top of the file, you'll see a line starting with root. Right after root, you'll notice the encrypted password information between two colons. To remove root's password, you use the editor to erase the scrambled text between the two colons, leaving a line that looks like this: root::10266:0::::: Save the file and reboot the machine, and you'll be able to log in as root without a password. then set a new password for root. Mike Kershaw wrote: > On Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 11:33:48PM -0400, John R Puhalski wrote: > >> I believe this was discussed once but can I change root password using >> the installation CD? I have an old computer that's been sitting around >> for some time with Slackware 12.0 on it and I don't know the password. >> I was going to give it to my son to use but I cant log on. >> > > boot cd to command line > # Make a directory to mount into, make a new dir to prevent mounting > # over something the boot cd wants > mkdir /foo > # Mount your hard drive > mount /dev/yourharddrive /foo > # chroot (ie, act like we booted into the hard drive) > chroot /foo > # Change password > passwd > # Exit the chroot > exit > # unmount hard drive > umount /foo > > ta-daa. > > > Alternately: > > Boot off hard drive. > interrupt boot (capslock in lilo, 'e' to edit boot line in grub) > Boot image + "init=/bin/bash" > In lilo: 'vmlinux init=/bin/bash' (where 'vmlinux' = what you named > it) > > In grub: 'e' to edit, then add 'init=/bin/bash' > > # Let it boot, you'll have a root shell. > # Remount drive r/w > mount / -o remount,rw > # Change password > passwd > # Remount r/o to make it happy > mount / -o remount,ro > # reboot > reboot > > -m > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Mid-Hudson Valley Linux Users Group http://mhvlug.org > > http://mhvlug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mhvlug > Upcoming Meetings (6pm - 8pm) MHVLS Auditorium > > Mar 5 - Wearable Linux Computing > Apr 2 - Building a Kernel the Debian / Ubuntu way > May 7 - Setting up a platform-independent home/small office network using > Linux > Jun 4 - TBD > Jul 2 - KVM (Tenative) > _______________________________________________ Mid-Hudson Valley Linux Users Group http://mhvlug.org http://mhvlug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mhvlug Upcoming Meetings (6pm - 8pm) MHVLS Auditorium Mar 5 - Wearable Linux Computing Apr 2 - Building a Kernel the Debian / Ubuntu way May 7 - Setting up a platform-independent home/small office network using Linux Jun 4 - TBD Jul 2 - KVM (Tenative)
