Server Edition OVA root password

[TheSmash]

HI guys,

Had to shut down an ESXi server to replace some faulty hardware. When booting back up the Linux OS halts with a disc inconsistency asking me to run fsdk to fix. It's asking for a root password to continue but it's not the one we set or any other we can think of. Nor is it default - Administrator as per the docs.

I can hit CNTRL-D to restart but I get back to the same place. Basically I'm stuck.

Any bright ideas?

Thanks.

ACSS (SME)

 

[sizbut]

What release? With 9.1 it starts by matching the password set for the IP Office system password (system, not Administrator). There is not default.

Stuck in a never ending cycle of file copying.

 

[TheSmash]

Version 9.1.5. Tried that and no joy. Its like the password got corrupted somehow.

ACSS (SME)

 

[TheSmash]

That's assuming the engineer who set it up game me the correct password!

Having said that, I spun up a second VM, ingnited it and set passwords. Now on the CLI on the new VM if I type login, then using either root or Administrator as a username I can't find a password that works...hmmm

ACSS (SME)

 

[shardian]

I've seen this happen quite often when the installer used the .iso to deploy into ESXi rather than the .ova....

 

[TheSmash]

OK thanks. This was definitely an OVA install.

ACSS (SME)

 

[TheSmash]

Little update after doing some testing this morning.

Using the iso image, there is no issues with the root password. Tried again with the OVA and the issue was the same. (both tested on separate machine to where I experienced the issue initially). So looks like the problem is with the writing of the root password on ignition of the OVA.

Interestingly, the issue is only on the console. If you SSH there isn't a problem logging in.

Now looking for the workaround. Will post back once I've worked it out.

ACSS (SME)

 

[TheSmash]

OK, it looks like there is an issue with the 9.1.5 OVA. Here is the workaround to fix the "corrupt" root password issue.

Once you have run the ignition process, log in to Web Management and go to platform view. Click the Settings tab and then select System at the top.

Scroll down to "Change root password" and enter your desired password. Once saved you can then login at the console with the root user.



ACSS (SME)

 

[TheSmash]

I should add, that if you try and change it to what it was in the ignition process, it doesn't work. You must choose a different password for it to work.

ACSS (SME)

 

[IamaSherpa]

I had it too, and all was due to the keyboard settings: if you used keyboard layouts different from the English US (OVA default) that could be the problem, you could have set ascii characters different from your needings ("/" instead of "-", etc).

 

[TheSmash]

Yeah that makes sense as I definitely had the @ symbol in there and on the US keyboard that would have been ".

ACSS (SME)

 

[derfloh]

I'm not sure how you do it. Usually you are only allowed to login as root with default password to change ip settings. Then you should do Ignition and from that moment you have to login as Administrator. You can then step up to admin cli and from there to root shell if really needed.

 

[TheSmash]

The issue I experienced was during boot up and the system was asking for the root password (not Administrator) and you didn't even get to enter the username. Now I know what might have happened in the ignition process with the US Keyboard layout I could probably recover that VM. However its all been replicated now so I can just blow that one away if I wanted.

ACSS (SME)