I got a box with sco 5 it boots into a doctors office application as a single user mode but without permissions, I cannot access the floppy neither change root password. I need to save a data file but I don't know how could I do that, I have no experience in Unix so I will apreciate any help.
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How To
- Thread starter alja
- Start date
Boot from cdrom and/or floppy install disk ( the floppy image is on the CD ).
During the install press F8, a list of options is shown.
Select Use the <TAB> and <Arrow> keys to highlight the shell command, press <Enter>.
If you break out of the install BEFORE the CDROM initialization, then certain tools will not be accessible, such as mounting hard disks, fsck, file listing etc.
Once you get past identifying the installation media, and are at the point where you are asked for the keyboard type, press the <F8> key. Go to the shell escape.
To access the root filesystem, you will have to create the device node;
# mknod /dev/root b 1 42
To run the filesystem check on the root filesystem;
# fsck –o full /dev/root
To mount the root filesystem;
# mount /dev/root /mnt
Now edit the /mnt/etc/shadow file and remove the gobblegook between the : : parenthesis.
Do the same for the /mnt/etc/passwd file, but removing the "x" instead. This will basically remove the root password.
Hopefully allowing logging into the single user mode ( press return, instead of ctrl-d, during bootup.)
from here mount the relevant filesystem ( or them all ) and you have access to any file you want.
NOTE: Make sure you backup these files, just in case i have done a typo.
Hope this helps
During the install press F8, a list of options is shown.
Select Use the <TAB> and <Arrow> keys to highlight the shell command, press <Enter>.
If you break out of the install BEFORE the CDROM initialization, then certain tools will not be accessible, such as mounting hard disks, fsck, file listing etc.
Once you get past identifying the installation media, and are at the point where you are asked for the keyboard type, press the <F8> key. Go to the shell escape.
To access the root filesystem, you will have to create the device node;
# mknod /dev/root b 1 42
To run the filesystem check on the root filesystem;
# fsck –o full /dev/root
To mount the root filesystem;
# mount /dev/root /mnt
Now edit the /mnt/etc/shadow file and remove the gobblegook between the : : parenthesis.
Do the same for the /mnt/etc/passwd file, but removing the "x" instead. This will basically remove the root password.
Hopefully allowing logging into the single user mode ( press return, instead of ctrl-d, during bootup.)
from here mount the relevant filesystem ( or them all ) and you have access to any file you want.
NOTE: Make sure you backup these files, just in case i have done a typo.
Hope this helps
- Thread starter
- #3
You may be able to use a mandrake cd, but the instructions would be very different. It all depends on whether the mandrake can support the sco Filesystem type.
I'm afraid i do not know mandrake, so could not advise on this. If it does support this, then you could build a machine up with mandrake and put the sco disk as a secondary unit.
Better to get a sco5 cd though, to be safe.
You may be able to get a demo sco openserver 5 cd from the caldera website at
If they wont supply you one, you would have to get a borrowed copied from a friend.
Enjoy,
UkWizard.
PS. Coincidentally enough, i use to work on sco machines in doctors surgeries, in my previous company.
I'm afraid i do not know mandrake, so could not advise on this. If it does support this, then you could build a machine up with mandrake and put the sco disk as a secondary unit.
Better to get a sco5 cd though, to be safe.
You may be able to get a demo sco openserver 5 cd from the caldera website at
If they wont supply you one, you would have to get a borrowed copied from a friend.
Enjoy,
UkWizard.
PS. Coincidentally enough, i use to work on sco machines in doctors surgeries, in my previous company.
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks UkW, I guess I am going to post a help for the cd or boot disks, this is my first time dealing with Unix and I am excited but with this limitation is really to less what I can do, I hope to get into the system so I can learn from it, once again thanks.
Annihilannic
MIS
Are you sure it's in single user mode? Does Alt-F3, or perhaps Ctrl-Alt-F3 take you to another virtual console?
What does SCO Doctor do anyway? Annihilannic.
What does SCO Doctor do anyway? Annihilannic.
- Thread starter
- #7
ok, this is what I get when I turn on the box, first, I get the prompt "SCO 5 boot :" where I only have the choice of hit enter, in here I tried the boot -s but the system hang. When I hit enter the kernel loads and I get this line where says "INIT : SINGLE USER MODE" and the option of hit ctrl + d to starup or give the root password for maintenance, since I don't have the root password I hit ctrl + d and then I get a line "INIT : New run level : 2" and the option to input the date and time, after that I hit enter and it just gives me the login prompt where I just give a name without password and then I am in the "$" prompt and typing a command "MED1" I am in the doctor's application. this is all what I get from this box, if this can help somebody to help me once again I'll apreciate it. Thanks
stanhubble
MIS
see if you can make a set of emergency root and boot disks.
at the $ prompt type mkdev fd
if you get the message:
mkdev: /usr/lib/mkdev/fd not found
then the user does not have permission.
q's : what version of sco is it? (uname -X)
what type of hard drives/controllers are in the machine ? (hw 2> /dev/null | grep disk)
(hw 2> /dev/null | grep adapter)
note: do not include the parenthesis when type in the above commands faq219-2884
at the $ prompt type mkdev fd
if you get the message:
mkdev: /usr/lib/mkdev/fd not found
then the user does not have permission.
q's : what version of sco is it? (uname -X)
what type of hard drives/controllers are in the machine ? (hw 2> /dev/null | grep disk)
(hw 2> /dev/null | grep adapter)
note: do not include the parenthesis when type in the above commands faq219-2884
eyedoc1975
Technical User
Dear Alja,
It appears that your doctor is using a software for
the Medical practice called Medical Manager. I am familliar with this and this software runs in a SCO unix
environment. When you log-in and it gives you Med 1, you
are actually into Medical manager and your SCO commands
will not work. It works with a pull down menu. Find out
if the doctor is using this software indeed. If so, please
see if what version of Medical Manager it is it has to be
8.12, 9.1 or 10.0. and best way to handle is to get support
for it. Let me know and I will give you a phone number of
a company which you can use to get support.
I hope that this will help.
Hershey
- Thread starter
- #10
Thanks for the help guys, the software is called C.A.T Medical System III, and maybe is the one you say Hershey but I haven't even found them in yellow pages. The thing is that the doctor is retired now and he gave the pc to another doctor to take his patients but the new doctor is using a different software so he really doesn't care about the box, it is actually me the one who wants to work on this in order to learn some about UNIX. but seems I am gonna have to redo the box since I cannot get any way to keep going it is true what you say "most of the command are denied" so is not too much I can do, I was thinking about trying the boot disk or cd but that's looks even more difficult to find. Anyway thanks to everyone who post and try to help.
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