5.5 COTS Linux Base root account reset

[norlee]

Hi Guys,

Firstly I have no interest in any passwords. I just need some help on the password recovery mechanism on 5.5 Linux Base on a HP COTS. I am doing this on a lab system prior to going to site where my customer has lost/forgotten their root/nortel/admin password and I'm doing this as a dry run.

The documentation (Linux Platform Base I & C 5.5 NN43001-315 page 111) states: boot with install media in DVD drive.

At boot prompt type KVM <enter>
At install menu type alt+f2 to switch to a shell virtual console.

Type cd /tmp/ and press Enter to change the path to the tmp directory.
Type mkdir mount and press Enter to create a new directory.
Type mount /dev/sda6 mount/ and press Enter to mount the system image.
Type chroot /tmp/mount and press Enter.
Type passwd –f root and press Enter. The Root password reset window appears.

The screen then changes to the 'change root password screen'

I can change the password here, however when I reboot and try and log in with 'root' and the password I have just input it tells me the password is incorrect.

If I log in with the 'nortel' account and type su and follow this with my new root password that I just reset, I can get into root, so I know the password has been changed.

It just won't let me log in direct to the account root.

Has anyone else tried this and had similar issues?

Thanks,

Norm

 

[ElderUsr]

I strongly believe that to login directly into the Root Account after a 5.5 install, it may be disabled, as I know in the later releases that this is the case, and you typically either need to use the Nortel or UCM Admin account. However, as you mentioned you are able to SU, so it did take the new password. It just will not allow an interactive login.

Hope this clears it up.

 

[plmartin314]

You can't directly log in with the root password on an SSH session. I am not sure you can on a console session especially if the console has switched back to the serial port.

You can log in directly with root on the serial port console sesssion.

From SSH you have to log in as Nortel and switch to root.

This is a security mechanism to help prevent root hack across the network.

 

[norlee]

Thanks for the responses guys, but I'm not using a SSH connection.

The documented root password recovery procedure should work (you'd like to think?) to the point where you can log into 'root' and then - and this is why I need to do this, then I want to reset the 'nortel' account (this time via serial connection) via the root level command passwd (user)

For clarification I am connecting via screen/keyboard and mouse as per the NTP:

Resetting Nortel Linux base passwords:
Nortel Linux base passwords can be reset if they are forgotten or lost. Use the following procedures to reset Nortel Linux base passwords.

Resetting the Nortel Linux base root password
ATTENTION
Use this procedure to reset the local Nortel Linux base root password only.

You must have physical access to the system to use this procedure. You must have a keyboard, video monitor, and mouse (kvm) connection to use this procedure.

Step Action
1 Insert the Linux base CD in the CD-ROM tray.
2 Reboot the system.
3 Type kvm at the boot prompt and press Enter to begin the
installation, as shown in Figure 104 "CS 1000 Linux base system
installer" (page 111).... ditto the steps outlined previously.

Thanks,

Norman