DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Forgotten Username & Password

29 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/forgotten-username-password.47785/

Manshahia
Manshahia Original post #1
Jan 29, 2007 at 3:08 PM
Guys i hav forgotten Suse 10.2's Username and password.

Anyway to sort it out, without installing it again for 1.5 hours???
mediator
Jan 29, 2007 at 3:45 PM
*www.digitalpeer.com/id/change
Manshahia
Jan 29, 2007 at 3:57 PM
I dont hav even GRUB or LILO Installed
M
Jan 29, 2007 at 4:24 PM
Then how do you boot?
Renistall grub/lilo, whichever you prefer.
One way is boot from a live cd, give the following command in the terminal
Code:
sudo mkdir /mnt/linux
sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/hda1 /mnt/linux
sudo chroot /mnt/linux /bin/bash
grub-install /dev/hda1
sudo passwd <username>
(now you will be prompted to type your password, twice)
In the above replace /dev/hda1 with whatever your / partition is and <username> with the username. And if you are using filesystem other than ext3 for your / partition, then even change ext3 to that.
Manshahia
Jan 29, 2007 at 7:35 PM
For wat is this CODE??

It will reset the password or install GRUB??
Manshahia
Jan 29, 2007 at 7:54 PM
I m having DVD of Suse 10.2

Wat sud i select ??
1. Boot From HDD
or
2. Rescue Mode?
M
Jan 29, 2007 at 7:58 PM
That was for a live cd.
For suse DVD, select rescue mode, then go on as it prompts you.
Manshahia
Jan 29, 2007 at 8:03 PM
I m having a live CD of UBUNTU.
Will it work for SUSE 10.2 Operating System??
M
mehulved #10
Jan 29, 2007 at 8:06 PM
yes
Aberforth
Aberforth #11
Jan 29, 2007 at 8:09 PM
mediator said:
*www.digitalpeer.com/id/change

That sounds way too easy, if it works then it would compromise my system. :\
M
mehulved #12
Jan 29, 2007 at 8:12 PM
It totally works. But, of course someone needs a physical access to your system for this. To protect this, you have grub password and BIOS password.
Still, someone can yank off your hard drive and run away.
This is what I have learnt from others.
mediator
mediator #13
Jan 29, 2007 at 8:21 PM
Actually! Every system is hackable starting from BIOS. As home users we don't need to think abt it that much (ofcors we need to update the system). Otherwise security is very important.

So u can prevent all that by giving grub its own password!
*www.gentoo.org/doc/en/security/security-handbook.xml?part=1&chap=2
Pathik
Pathik #14
Jan 29, 2007 at 8:35 PM
hey tyf wat exactly does this command do????
sudo chroot /mnt/linux /bin/bash
mediator
mediator #15
Jan 29, 2007 at 9:10 PM
^^ Its a run command or interactive shell with special root directory

Type "man chroot" on ur *nix box to find out more !
Manshahia
Manshahia #16
Jan 29, 2007 at 9:11 PM
TYF said:
Code:
sudo mkdir /mnt/linux
sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/hda1 /mnt/linux
sudo chroot /mnt/linux /bin/bash
grub-install /dev/hda1
sudo passwd <username>
(now you will be prompted to type your password, twice)

The First Line went fine.
In the second line Ubuntu said this.

Code:
Usage   :  Mount -v     : Print Version
              Mount -h     : print this help
              Mount         : List Mounted Filesystem
              Mount -l      : Idem, Including volume labels

So far the informational Part. Next the Mounting.
The command is 'mount[-t fstype] something somewhere
Details found in /etc/fstab may be Ommited

Mount -a[-t|-o].... Mount all file systems from /etc/fstab
mount device....
mount dir....
mount -t type dev dir : Ordinary Mount command.
Note that one does not really mount a device one mounts a filesystem(of a given type) found on the device.
.............................


TYF said:
In the above replace /dev/hda1 with whatever your / partition is
i found that the drive name is hdb9. Is it correct??

Now where is the problem??
M
mehulved #17
Jan 29, 2007 at 9:24 PM
I need the output of fdisk -l to know about it.
Manshahia
Manshahia #18
Jan 29, 2007 at 10:27 PM
So, wat sud i do now??
Pop the CD??
On terminal write fdisk -l??
How wud i b saving the output??
Coz i cant access HDD in UBUNTU Live.
__________
?????
M
mehulved #19
Jan 29, 2007 at 10:33 PM
fdisk -l will list all your partitions.
Manshahia
Manshahia #20
Jan 29, 2007 at 10:52 PM
Started again Live Ubuntu.
but fdisk -l didnt generated an Output neither an error was shown.
Aberforth
Aberforth #21
Jan 29, 2007 at 11:12 PM
tech_your_future said:
It totally works. But, of course someone needs a physical access to your system for this. To protect this, you have grub password and BIOS password.
Still, someone can yank off your hard drive and run away.
This is what I have learnt from others.

Or my laptop could be stolen, I could be robbed, these are things I couldn't stop. :p What I want to do is stop a casual user, a friend or a guest, to stop being able to reset password and gain access to my laptop or account without my permission. Now opening up the laptop with a screwdriver to reset the BIOs pass or take my hard drive would be a bit messy and could bring it to my or anyone else's attention.
M
mehulved #22
Jan 29, 2007 at 11:16 PM
Manshahia said:
Started again Live Ubuntu.
but fdisk -l didnt generated an Output neither an error was shown.
Try sudo fdisk -l
Manshahia
Manshahia #23
Jan 30, 2007 at 12:42 AM
it said nothing can b found in some folder(it named a folder cant recall it).
__________
wat now?
M
mehulved #24
Jan 30, 2007 at 12:52 AM
Give us the exact error message, then we can help.
gary4gar
gary4gar #25
Jan 30, 2007 at 12:46 PM
lol!
looks more like a chat session to me.
@Manshahia
Please post as much details u have with u. and read this
How To Ask a Question Here
Manshahia
Manshahia #26
Jan 30, 2007 at 6:59 PM
Hav uninstalled the OS for reinstalling.

Please Close the Thread.
eddie
eddie #27
Jan 30, 2007 at 7:47 PM
Aberforth said:
Or my laptop could be stolen, I could be robbed, these are things I couldn't stop. :p What I want to do is stop a casual user, a friend or a guest, to stop being able to reset password and gain access to my laptop or account without my permission. Now opening up the laptop with a screwdriver to reset the BIOs pass or take my hard drive would be a bit messy and could bring it to my or anyone else's attention.
If you have such friends then you can use LILO with restricted and password combo in your lilo.conf :)

Read "man lilo.conf" for more info.
praka123
praka123 #28
Jan 30, 2007 at 7:55 PM
grub also allows

grub also can encrypt passwd.
Aberforth
Aberforth #29
Jan 31, 2007 at 12:58 AM
eddie said:
If you have such friends then you can use LILO with restricted and password combo in your lilo.conf :)

Well I have to suffer some of my younger friends with weird humour...who would to anything to snoop on my laptop to send bogus "I love you" emails and stuff. I just don't want to be a victim of one of their pranks....:p