Recover root password in HP-UX11.11

[Learn_1]

how can we recover root password in hp-ux11i if we have forget the password without using recovery procedure.

[Patrick Wallek]

About the only option available to you is to reboot and come up in single-user mode. At that point you can /sbin/passwd and change the root password to something you know.

[Learn_1]

thanks patrick
is this an authentic process.also can u forward me the exact procedure for recovering this root password.

[Victor Fridyev]

Hi,

You can't recover root password. Patrick is 100% right. Some details: you have to reboot your computer. Without root access you can do this either by command RS from GSP or switching off/on the computer. This is nor the best way, but ...
Interrupt start up process when this will be prompted and print:
bo pri
y (on the next question)
hpux -is (on the next prompt)

At the end of this you'll be able to change root password by entering command

passwd

Good luck

[Learn_1]

Hi Victor,
Thanks for info.want to reset root password instead of recover.just one more clarification.do we need to mount any dir i.e /,usr,/sbin or any other.
following will be the procedure that i will be following for this root password reset.please confirm.

we have rp7410.logged into MP.

Boot into single user mode:

Stop the boot process when it says "Press any key to stop in 10 seconds". It will be on "Main Menu >" prompt.

Type "bo pri" hit Enter.
< Interact with IPL ? >
Say Y ( for yes)
You will be at "ISL>" prompt.
Type "hpux -is" hit Enter.
System will be booted in single user mode and it will be logged in as "root".
At the end of this you'll be able to change root password by entering command

passwd (should i mention passwd root here or only tp specify passwd as i will be logged on as root and password will be set to null)

[Sanjay Kumar Suri]

Just use the passwd command.
sks

[thijs lankhorst_1]

Not quite sure but i think there might be one other solution whereby you use the passwd info from a diferent userid that you copy to your root passwd file so you can logon as root using the passwd from the first user, ie:
cd /usr/local/bin
./.call_command "vi /tcb/files/auth/s/userid"
Here it should give you the incripted passwd what you can copy over to the same file for the root user and replace the old passwd.

[D Block 2]

The best practice/procedure is to bring up the system in SINGLE-USER to change the passwd: Hits the TOC button on the back of the system.

Next, get on the CONSOle, and interrupt the boot process.

next, type "hpux -is", as the boot string, or you might search or find the current boot string. This can be done, if you so decide to boot into ISL mode. I agree, you can look at the BOOT STRINGS (or BOOT FLAGS). you can change these flags in ISL mode, so you boot into "hpux -is" rather than "hpux" only which is Multi-User.

Good Luck...

[Bharat Katkar]

Hi Anwar,
Suggestion made by Patrick,Victor and Sanjay has guided you in right path. Follow that procedure.
Just to add something:
# passwd should work and prompt you for new root password.

Secondly in case if you need to mount any of /usr /sbin filesystems just refer /etc/fstab file to identify respective lv of filesystem and then try mount it.

#mount /dev/dsk/lvolx /usr

Hope this helps.

[eran maor]

Hi

one more command , why dont you copy the /etc/passwd from another computer that you know the root password ?

[Edgar Arroyo]

Just so you know, I just did this with my system and passwd is there, all you have to do is specify the user you want to change the password to, in this case, root..

passwd root

It will prompt you
New password:

and to reenter password.

Hope this helps.

[Edmund Li]

Some extra info.

If the system is a "Trusted System" , the passwd will * not * work in the way you want - passwd will ASK for OLD password.

To get around , convert back to "Untrusted " using SAM before reapplying the abovementioned steps.

( you will need to mount /usr & mount /var in order to get sam up & running. then go to Auditing and Security , and find some option which get you to convert back to untrusted system. No password needed)

[Kevin Batter_4]

think that if trusted system you can run

/usr/sam/lbin/usermod.sam -F -p " " root

which nulls roots password and you can then just use passwd to reset as it doesnt ask for an old password

[Jan Sladky]

hi,

everything has been told so summarization of change in single user mode:

reboot
break the automatic reboot in 10 seconds
enter boot
interact with ISL=y
enter hpux -is
passwd xxxxxx

init 3

check all file systems are mounted, all services are running, interfaces are up

br Jan