root password

[herri]

Dear All
I have Linux Server (Redhar 6.2) to run MRTG but I can't log
into it as root because I forgot root password, how to recovery root password ?
thx
Herri H, CCNA, CCNP cand

 

[ifincham]

Hi,

As long as there is no password set in lilo itself, you can just boot to runlevel 1 and change it with 'passwd'. When you get the lilo prompt append 'linux single' or 'linux 1' so that it looks like :

lilo : linux 1

Then press enter....

The system should just stop with a root prompt , i.e. without requiring a password. You are then root and you just change your own password as :

# passwd

If you have a password-protected lilo then you need to boot from floppy or CD, mount the original root partition somewhere and 'cat' the /etc/lilo.conf file to see the lilo password. For example :

# mkdir /mnt/temp
# mount /dev/sda1 -t auto -o ro /mnt/temp
# cat /mnt/temp/etc/lilo.conf
# umount /dev/sda1

(Obviously /dev/sda1 is just an illustration of your real root partition - use the correct value for your system).

If you have problems getting an (unprotected) boot disk / cd try toms root / boot disk from

http://www.toms.net/rb/

Hope this helps