The root account has become disabled so I want to boot from the emergency boot disk but the question or problem is as follows: The boot disk was created in 2001 when the system was delivered. I was not instructed to make any as we go like I should have been doing all along. In the mean time the system name was changed inadvertently when we were trying to do some network stuff. We do not know what we did to change the name, but I had to change a lot of things to the new system name which was easier than trying to go back and change back not knowing how it had happened. So if these emergency boot & root disks have the old system name what is going to happen or should I say not going to happen? Thank you in advance, I hope!
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SCO 5.06 root account disabled HELP 3
- Thread starter inq1
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The system name shouldn't have any affect on your current problem nor the solution. You should still be able to boot the system into single-user mode at the console and re-enable the "root" account.
Check the contents of the /etc/default/login file. You should have an entry like this:
$ grep OVERRIDE /etc/default/login
OVERRIDE=tty01
This would indicate that single-user login is still allowed on that device. (man login for information)
If the password is unknown, that could be a different issue.
Check the contents of the /etc/default/login file. You should have an entry like this:
$ grep OVERRIDE /etc/default/login
OVERRIDE=tty01
This would indicate that single-user login is still allowed on that device. (man login for information)
If the password is unknown, that could be a different issue.
- Thread starter
- #3
It seems that now the account is enabled as it booted up without the message that root was disabled. In the boot from emergency disk process there was an error message when I put the root disk in. It said there was no room on mnt and whatever else. So I shut it down again and let it boot normally. But I still connot log in as root, appearantly the password got 'munched'. Now what?
Thanks
Thanks
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fredericofonseca
IS-IT--Management
Regards
Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd
Make sure you have multiple copies of the boot and root diskettes. The root diskette can't be write-protected, but can be damaged if things don't go well.
Tony Lawrence has several "how to" articals on his site for resetting the root password. Do a search at And thank him for his contribution to the SCO community!
Tony Lawrence has several "how to" articals on his site for resetting the root password. Do a search at And thank him for his contribution to the SCO community!
And why not simply have a look in the FAQ area here ?
Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ181-2886
Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ181-2886
- Thread starter
- #7
Well I really have a problem don't I?! I tried several things.
There is no "tools" as referred to in faq58-1366. I could not get to the hard drive. It says too many attemts at mount, or no space left on device, error 28. I could not mount /dev/hd0root /mnt. When I did an ls -l I did find hd0root, but it is not really there on the hard drive.
I started over and went to another set of instructions.Still could not mount /dev/hd0root /mnt. I tried the next instruction which is:
/mnt/bin/chroot /mnt /bin/su root -c passwd root
it could not find 'chroot'
While following the APLawrence instructions it could not find edit or vi nor could I mount. Any other ideas, tips, instructions? Thanks
There is no "tools" as referred to in faq58-1366. I could not get to the hard drive. It says too many attemts at mount, or no space left on device, error 28. I could not mount /dev/hd0root /mnt. When I did an ls -l I did find hd0root, but it is not really there on the hard drive.
I started over and went to another set of instructions.Still could not mount /dev/hd0root /mnt. I tried the next instruction which is:
/mnt/bin/chroot /mnt /bin/su root -c passwd root
it could not find 'chroot'
While following the APLawrence instructions it could not find edit or vi nor could I mount. Any other ideas, tips, instructions? Thanks
- Thread starter
- #9
- Thread starter
- #10
Last evening I got a little farther than before. I used:
mount /dev/root mnt and that seemed to work. I could not use: mount /dev/hd0root /mnt as it could not find hf0root.
When I tried the line /mnt/bin/chroot etc it came back and said it could not be found. Also it does not understand any commands so did I really get to the hard drive? Is there a way to get to single user mode without the password?
mount /dev/root mnt and that seemed to work. I could not use: mount /dev/hd0root /mnt as it could not find hf0root.
When I tried the line /mnt/bin/chroot etc it came back and said it could not be found. Also it does not understand any commands so did I really get to the hard drive? Is there a way to get to single user mode without the password?
- Thread starter
- #12
I'm on 5.0.5 so things might be different in the later OS.
There is no hd0root but there is /dev/hd00, hd01, hd02,hd03 and /dev/root on my system, so I suspect that you did mount /dev/root. The only way to know for sure is to change to the mount location and see what is there.
Did you receive install media with the system? If so, reinstalling the system on a new drive would give you the option of creating a generic root and boot set that should allow access to your hard drive.
As far as the commands, try /mnt/bin/command or /mnt/usr/bin/command and see if they operate that way.
Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
There is no hd0root but there is /dev/hd00, hd01, hd02,hd03 and /dev/root on my system, so I suspect that you did mount /dev/root. The only way to know for sure is to change to the mount location and see what is there.
Did you receive install media with the system? If so, reinstalling the system on a new drive would give you the option of creating a generic root and boot set that should allow access to your hard drive.
As far as the commands, try /mnt/bin/command or /mnt/usr/bin/command and see if they operate that way.
Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
- Thread starter
- #14
I do have the install media so I guess we will have to do that. But I tried both /mnt/bin/chroot and /mnt/usr/bin/chroot and neither of them worked. In the meantime there are 2 terminals that are disabled so far. Glad it is the end of the week!
when I cd to the /mnt directory I see the following:
rw------ ramdisk.Z
is it a permission problem? I am grasping at straws.
Thanks
when I cd to the /mnt directory I see the following:
rw------ ramdisk.Z
is it a permission problem? I am grasping at straws.
Thanks
fredericofonseca
IS-IT--Management
no its not a permission problem.
My advise at this stage is to either contact the company that installed the OS in the first place or contract a WELL KNOWN SCO GURU with experience in doing this type of stuff.
There are several ways of addressing this problem (finding the correct mount points/devices), but they should only be attempted by people experienced on this type of situations.
where are you based? country and state if applicable.
If this is a 5.06 machine you have a bootable CD then. You MAY just be able to use this on its own depending on your machine requiring BTLDs or not. And booting from the CD will give you access to the "tools" set.
Regards
Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd
My advise at this stage is to either contact the company that installed the OS in the first place or contract a WELL KNOWN SCO GURU with experience in doing this type of stuff.
There are several ways of addressing this problem (finding the correct mount points/devices), but they should only be attempted by people experienced on this type of situations.
where are you based? country and state if applicable.
If this is a 5.06 machine you have a bootable CD then. You MAY just be able to use this on its own depending on your machine requiring BTLDs or not. And booting from the CD will give you access to the "tools" set.
Regards
Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd
In everything I've used up to 5.0.5 changing to the /mnt directory and looking shows the entire filesystem of the structure mounted.
Based on the ramdisk.Z being the only thing showing, your hard drive is not mounted to the floppy. And that is the reason the commands you wanted did not work.
You might also consider installing the OS on a temporary hard drive, then adding the old hard drive to it long enough to gain access to modify the password file. Just be careful that you don't allow it to be formatted. If 5.0.7 is like the earlier versions you could end up with access to the whole drive at whatever mount point you decide.
Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
Based on the ramdisk.Z being the only thing showing, your hard drive is not mounted to the floppy. And that is the reason the commands you wanted did not work.
You might also consider installing the OS on a temporary hard drive, then adding the old hard drive to it long enough to gain access to modify the password file. Just be careful that you don't allow it to be formatted. If 5.0.7 is like the earlier versions you could end up with access to the whole drive at whatever mount point you decide.
Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
- Thread starter
- #17
We are in Northern California. I am trying to get a hold of someone in another office where the CD's are stored to see if there is a bootable CD. After that I quess I will need a GURU. This was all installed back east and shipped here but I will call and ask about the BTLDs.
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