User name / password

[martinco]

I run Linux Fedora core 6 version on my data server and due to no reason to access the O/S for quite some time I have lost/forgotten my user name and password ( Stupid me ! ) How do I reset these without having to re-install the O/S. I have seen suggestions but these refer to Hard Hat and Knoppix and does not make much sense to me.
Can anybody help and as I am not used to Linux please give as much detail as possible for the Fedora core 6 version..

Thanks in advance.
Martin

[WhiteKnight]

get hold of a linux boot disk or livecd, mount ur root partition, edit the file /etc/shadow

the 1st line should look like root:93t028oed8f7god:12341:0:::::

delete everything in between the 1st 2 colons

reboot and root should have no password.

edit: search this forum, i believe there is an existing thread on this

[deathadder]

If you don't fancy editing your shadows file you can do this.

root@live_cd: mount /dev/hdxY /mnt/temp
root@live_cd: chroot /mnt/temp /bin/bash
root@fedora: passwd
new password
root@fedora: exit
root@live_cd: umount /mnt/temp

Where hdxY is your root partition, hda1 if its IDE and the first partition on the primary drive.

[martinco]

get hold of a linux boot disk or livecd, mount ur root partition, edit the file /etc/shadow

Where do I get hold of a Linux boot disk or live cd or is this part of the original installation cd ? Is it downloadable from the web and if so pse give me a link.

Thanks Whiteknight and Deathadder

[deathadder]

Hi,

The Fedora installation cd my have a rescue mode that gets you to a terminal, but I've got no idea, I haven't actually used it before. However you can get dozens of live-cds from the web, I recommend Knoppix. http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html

Loads of different distros have a live-cd version, have a search on the forums and with google for some others.

This is probably better than me listing some: http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php

[EDIT]
I forgot to meantion in my previous post, if your not sure what your root partition is, you can use the command 'fdisk -l' to list the partitions on your machine. Then if all else fails, mount a likely one and check whats on it, just a ls /mnt/temp/, before doing the chmod.

[martinco]

I found this solution on the Fedora forum website. Works 100%.
Thanks for your trouble
Martin
" When the login banner appears, hit Ctrl+Alt+F1 to get a console. Login in as root and use
# passwd username
to change the user account's password. If you've forgotten your root password (meaning you're probably really desperate), at the grub splash screen, instead of hitting [enter] to boot your kernel, hit e to edit the boot options. Then select the line that begins with kernel and hit e again. Add the word single to the end of the line. Hit [enter] followed by b. The system will now boot into singleuser mode. Run passwd to change your root password and passwd username to change your user"


One further problem: When I open some of the windows they appear too large towards the bottom of the monitor and frequently I cannot see the "OK" button to accept changes made to the settings.
I have tried changing the monitor settings and display card settings but no joy.
Any suggestions ?

[ladoga]

One further problem: When I open some of the windows they appear too large towards the bottom of the monitor and frequently I cannot see the "OK" button to accept changes made to the settings.
I have tried changing the monitor settings and display card settings but no joy.
Any suggestions ?

Does Gnome have alt+left mouse button for dragging windows? This is what I do in fluxbox when i manage to move some importart part of window out of the screen. Alt-right mouse button resizes window. I haven't used gnome for a long time so no idea, but maybe there is something similar.

[deathadder]

ladoga it's excatly the same...I had no idea about that until just now. Thanks for that!

[martinco]

Does Gnome have alt+left mouse button for dragging windows? This is what I do in fluxbox when i manage to move some importart part of window out of the screen. Alt-right mouse button resizes window. I haven't used gnome for a long time so no idea, but maybe there is something similar.

Ladoga,

Thanks this works on Fedora as well !!