Root disabled - no console login prompt

[Randolph Knippel]

I attempted to use the SMH to change the root password on an rx8640 running HP-UX 11.23. It came back with a message saying that the root account was in use, so it would not make the change. Fine. I logged out of the SMH and tried to sign-in to my server as root. Received a message that the root account is disabled but could still be used from the console. Signed onto the MP and went into the console. No login prompt. Tried ^ecf but it says that I'm already attached to the OS console. Still no login prompt.
Is my only solution booting into single-user mode?
Thanks,
Randy

[Dennis Handly]

I assume the system is still up?
Can you login with another user and see what's going on with the console? Which processes is root running there?

Do you have sudo?

[Randolph Knippel]

The system is still up and running. A 'ps -ef | grep console' shows:
root 2780 1 0 Jan 5 console 0:00 -sh
root 2955 2780 0 Jan 5 console 0:00 vi /var/tmp/sh2780.1

We have sudo installed to enable certain users to reset passwords, but we do not allow them to reset root.
Thanks,
Randy

[Patrick Wallek · Accepted solution]

According to your output, there is a shell running on the console, with a 'vi' session running.

If you reconnect to the console, try to exit out of 'vi' and see if you then get to the '#' prompt.

[Dennis Handly]

>Patrick: try to exit out of 'vi'

Right. Try a control-L then ":q!" if you don't want to save it.

[Randolph Knippel]

Thanks! That did the trick. Don't know why anyone was editting that file 20 days ago from the console, but I didn't relish the idea of booting into single-user mode to resolve it.

[Randolph Knippel]

Close thread.