topic Re: Forgot the root password in Operating System - HP-UX

Forgot the root password

Logan Ramasamy — Mon, 08 Oct 2001 17:27:46 GMT

One of our system was shutdown for a year. Our System Admin left without informing anybody about the root password. How do I start the system in single user mode and reset/ change the root password. Thanks.

Re: Forgot the root password

Santosh Nair_1 — Mon, 08 Oct 2001 17:34:11 GMT

Power up the machine, interrupt the boot process. Then boot off your primary boot disk and say yes when asked if you want to interact with the ISL. At the ISL prompt, type in hpux -iS. This will boot up the system into single user mode. At the prompt, change the root password using the passwd command.

-Santosh

Re: Forgot the root password

Uday_S_Ankolekar — Mon, 08 Oct 2001 17:41:18 GMT

Hi,

1.Power On the System
2. Interrupt Bootting process (Press a Key in 10 sec)
3. Yes for interacting ISL
4. hpux -iS for Single user mode
5 passwd command for changing root password

Good Luck
-USA...

Re: Forgot the root password

Sanjay_6 — Mon, 08 Oct 2001 17:44:01 GMT

Hi Logan,

To boot the system in single user mode, you have to interrupt the boot process. At the boot prompt, type

bo pri

This will boot the system from the primary path. Select "Y" to interact with IPL. At the IPL prompt type "hpux -is"
IPL>hpux -is

This will boot the system in single user mode and you can use the "passwd" command to set the new password.

Hope this helps.

Thanks

Re: Forgot the root password

Logan Ramasamy — Mon, 08 Oct 2001 19:04:15 GMT

I tried starting in single user mode and change the root password. It gave an error msg, when typed in "passwd root" command, not an isl command. Thanks.

Re: Forgot the root password

linuxfan — Mon, 08 Oct 2001 19:09:54 GMT

Hi Logan,

Looks like a busy day ;-)

Another thing you could do is back up the password file (cp /etc/passwd /etc/passwd.bk) and then edit the password file and remove the encrypted passwd for root.

-Ramesh

Re: Forgot the root password

Sanjay_6 — Mon, 08 Oct 2001 19:12:01 GMT

Hi Logan,

The passwd command will work only once the system is booted in to single user mode. Did your system boot into single user mode. At the IPL prompt you have to type "hpux -is" to boot the system into single user mode. Once into single user mode you can change the password.

first type "bo pri" after interrupting the boot process when the system says press any key within 10 seconds to interrupt the boot process. It will ask you whether you want to interact with IPL, select "Y" It will boot and come to the IPL> prompt. At the ipl prompt type "hpux -is". This will boot the system into single user mode.

thanks

Re: Forgot the root password

Logan Ramasamy — Tue, 09 Oct 2001 13:56:36 GMT

It is not only a busy day, it is long too for a oracle DBA to figure out things in the absence of Unix Admin. I did exactly the same as per your suggestions. The sequence is

Autoboot from primary path enabled.
To override, press any key within 10 secs.

I pressed Esc key.

Boot from primary boot path (Y or N?) Y
Interact with IPL (Y or N?) Y

ISL>hpux -is
ISL> passwd

Not an isl command or utility.

What am I doing wrong? Thanks for the help.

Re: Forgot the root password

James R. Ferguson — Tue, 09 Oct 2001 14:02:45 GMT

Hi Logan:

ISL> hpux -is boot

...then when in single-user mode:

# /sbin/passwd

Regards!

...JRF...

Re: Forgot the root password

Logan Ramasamy — Tue, 09 Oct 2001 14:21:48 GMT

Hi JRF,

Now it says, Isl command or utility name exceeds 10 characters. Thanks.

Re: Forgot the root password

Logan Ramasamy — Tue, 09 Oct 2001 14:35:47 GMT

Hi JRF,

It works. I forgot the "boot" word. I did

ISL>hpux -is boot (This boot only, I forgot)
#passwd root

Thanks so much. Could you please reply for my other question in the forum on "can not open ttyd0p7/ ttyd0p6 error no. 16".