Lost root password for HP-UX 9.x

[zigmeister]

I need to recover data from an old HP-UX 9.x system disk on a 9000/382 machine, but have no root or user account passwords. The suggestions posted in other threads for similar requests all seem to expect a newer version of boot ROM. On this machine, I cannot interrupt the boot process and get to an "ISL>" prompt. Since I can't login, I can't exit to single-user mode either. Any ideas?

 

[patel]

I have not heard that you can't stop boot sequence. But then I don't know 9.x

Patel

 

[mfgiord]

On HP-UX 10.20 during the boot process, it will give you 10seconds to break the booting and put you into the ISL> prompt. Its been a while since I worked on a 9.x system, but to Boot to single user mode on the 9.X system, I'm pretty sure that you can break the boot sequence via. ctl+break keys while its booting.

Then boot to single user mode via the virtual device something like this: (you should be able to list of the devices at the prom level as well)

boot (14/0/0.0.2;0)/stand/hpux -s (s is single user mode)

or whatever the virtual primary hard drive is. This will automatically bring you right to the root prompt (#). Then you could change the passwd. If this dosen't help, call HP or get on HP's web site and search for 9.x booting. Try this and let me know what happened ...

 

[marle]

On hpux 10.20 you have the chance to set the secure on.
Now you can´t boot in the ISL prompt!

Solution:
Disconnect the hard disk and possibly your DAT from the scsi bus (of course switch off your machine before). Now the machine stops automatically in the boot admin shell and you can boot in the isl mode and modify the /etc/passwd
Before boot in isl mode set secure off and you must not disconnect the hard disk the next time.

Perhaps this works also on hpux 9.x. I don´t know

 

[marle]

On hpux 10.20 you have the chance to set the option secure on.
Now you can´t boot in the ISL prompt!

Solution:
Disconnect the hard disk and possibly your DAT from the scsi bus (of course switch off your machine before). Now the machine stops automatically in the boot admin shell and you can boot in the isl mode and modify the /etc/passwd.
Before boot in isl mode set the opption secure off and you must not disconnect the hard disk the next time.

Perhaps this works also on hpux 9.x. I don´t know.

 

[zigmeister]

None of the approaches mentioned above get me into the boot PROM. Ctrl-Break, etc. does nothing (except for RESET, which restarts the boot process from the beginning). When booting with no disks attached, the system just continues to search for a boot device.

 

[Aikon]

One clever way of doing it is to use Software distributor to push the root password into server from a master server.

However, you will need to make sure that the swacl is configure correctly.