reset the root password in single user mode

[Nimish Shah]

I have lost the root password for HP 9000 Series K570 class server running HP-UX 11.0. Can some one advise me on how to log on as single user mode and change the root password.

I tried from IPL "hpux -iS" and then "passwd root" But this prompts for the old password which I do not have.

Thanking you in anticipation.

[Jeff Schussele · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Yes, hpux -is is the route to single user mode.
But it sounds like you're running in Trusted Mode, so you may want to go to
/tcb/file/auth/r & vi root to remove the current PW. Then you can run /sbin/passwd root to set a new one. Remember to leave the :\ at the end of the u_pwd field as they're the separators.
You'll have to mount /usr to get the vi command available.
You could just run /sbin/mount -a to mount 'em all beforehand.

Rgds,
Jeff

[Nimish Shah]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the response. I am not able to mount the /usr to use vi? When I issue command "mount -a /usr" it returns me the usage for mount command. Any suggestions plz.

[Robert-Jan Goossens]

Hi,

just mount -a without /usr behind the command.

# /sbin/mount -a

HTH,
Robert-Jan

[Slawomir Gora]

Hi,

You could just run /sbin/mount -a without /usr
it will mount all filesystem listed in /etc/fstab file

# mount -a