I forgot my root password

[Guest_imported]

I run SCO OpenServer 5.0, but I lost my root password.

 

[edfair]

What assets do you have available? Emergency boot disks? Another 5.0 anywhere around? And how do you feel about reloading the OS and programs from scratch?

 

[Guest_imported]

I don't have any emergency boot disks, I'd like to think there is a something that can be done other than just reloading the OS.

 

[edfair]

You might be able to kick out of the boot sequence in such a way that you could get into single user and manipulate around the problem and correct it.. But that puts the system at risk. What version of 5.0 are you running? I might load the same version to see what the possibilities are. I have been involved in this once before, but I don't remember what the solution was. And I'm better thinking while I have my hands on a keyboard.
And in the meantime write on a blackboard 500 times:
"I will make an emergency backup boot set of disks"
<grin>

 

[zoonkai]

as i recall you can boot off your emergency boot disk...when it comes up.....you're automatically root....changed the password then.....can't remember this for sure though....below is a clip from Unix Guru Universe website.....to set the root password to null so you can change it

hope this helps..

Donald (Zoonkai) Dixon

(you can access this info at

http://www.ugu.com/sui/ugu/show?I=tip.1276&F=1111111111&G=Y)

NULL ROOT PASSWD WITHOUT VI


As admins We never forget the root password,
RIGHT?

Although sometimes we do inherit machines in
which we don't know the root password.

Here is a way to null the root password from
the password file.

It comes a time in every admins life that we
will have to go into mini-root and change the
password file without the use of vi.

The following example shows how to achieve this
on the /etc/shadow file, but the same basic
commands can be achieved on the /etc/passwd file
for those platforms that don't support shadow
passwords.

Use &quot;ed&quot; - and the 13 dots method
---------------------------------
# cp /etc/shadow /etc/shadow.bak
# ed /etc/shadow
1p
s/:.............:/::/
1p
w
q

 

[abovebrd]

I agree with edfair and zoonkai.

You will need a boot disk. I do not think you have any other way options other than reloading the OS.

My question is do you need root priv. to create a new boot disk ? I have thought about it or tired ?

 

[edfair]

Yeah, you need root.
Suspect that he goes into user and exits back to login which eliminates SU access. But he would need pw there too.
There was a way to kick out of install on an earlier OS version, but think they made it harder when they redid the filesystem on 5.0.5. That's why I asked about the version. I've got a testbed machine that I could load with the same version and try but it doesn't seem he wants the help.
Another way would be to install on a parallel system with OS only and create EBDs there, or install a new drive 0, load the OS there,. attach the previous 0 as drive 1 and access the file there.
In any event, it will require a couple of hours of downtime, and could be messy. I've never been really comfortable diddling the passwords since Xenix.

 

[edfair]

Spent about an hour reviewing the process that I thought I'd used on 3.2v4.2 but evidently I either didn't do what I thought I had done, or I've forgotten a step. or 2.

 

[Guest_imported]

The SCO version is r3.2v5.0.0. Someone changed the root password and forgot it. I appreciate all of your help. I'll look into the tips you have provided.