Root password reset for HP-UX 11.00

[Carolina Elmufdi]

Hi,

I'm an amateur unix user working on a HP-UX 11.00 workstation which is not conected to any network. The root password is lost and I need to reset it. I've read previuos suggestions and was wondering how do I reboot into single user mode? Is there an easier way to change the password since I'm not connected to any network and there's no heavy security on the machine?

Thank you,

Carolina

[Pete Randall]

Carolina,

To boot into single user mode, interrupt the boot process when you see the message saying you have 10 seconds to do so. Then enter "hpux -is" to boot into single user mode. You'll be already logged in as root. Issue the passwd command to change the password.


Pete

[DIPAK KUMAR ROY]

You need to boot in 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 ISL" 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".

Change the Password and reboot.

Thanks

[Carolina Elmufdi]

Thanks for both of your replies. I started doing this but I am unable to reboot. To reboot I am typing boot or reboot as a command but this isn't working. It says boot/reboot not found. I thought this is how I reboot. Is there another way?

Thanks

[Zigor Buruaga]

Hi,

As user "root" run "shutdown -r 0"

Kind regards,
Zigor

[Zigor Buruaga]

Hi again,

Just re-read your question, forgot my stupid prior suggestion! ( as root ... )

My god!

Kind regards,
Zigor

[Carolina Elmufdi]

So can I issue this command as a regular user still?

Thanks again,
Carolina

[MANOJ SRIVASTAVA · Accepted solution]

Carolina

If there are no active databases etc running on the machine then you can probably switch of the machine and then when the machine is swtiched on back may be you can go into single user mode and change the password for the root.

Manoj

[Zigor Buruaga]

Hi,

No, as far as I know. Try to do a hard reset.
Sorry again ( I can't believe it! ).

Kind regards,
Zigor

[Carolina Elmufdi]

Manoj,

Thanks for your reply. I was advised that manually shutting the computer down is not good. There are no databases running on it. It's an HP Visualize j6000 UX 11.00. I guess I'm just looking for reassurances that I won't mess anything by manually shutting down. Also, is boot or reboot the correct command for shutting down? If so, why do you think it didn't work for me?

Thanks,
Carolina

[DIPAK KUMAR ROY]

Powercycle is the only option.
BTW, if you turn the power OFF on a HP workstation (most of the models), it will shutdown and then turn off.

Thanks

[Pete Randall]

Carolina,

Unless another user has been designated in the /etc/shutdown.allow file, root is the only one allowed to issue the shutdown comand. In that case, you'll need to use the "simulated power failure" technique - sometimes known as powering the workstation down and back up again.


Pete

[Carolina Elmufdi]

All,

Thanks for all the info. It worked! Unfortunately, after being succesful with that I got a little too ambitious and went ahead with the set_parms initial command to connect it to the network. Here is when the problems started. First, I mistakenly chose the stand alone option instead of the network option and when prompted for the host name I gave it the host name that my IT department had allocated for my computer. The computer already had a hostname but I changed it to the one IT gave me and configured the time zone and thats it. It rebooted and then when I tried logging back in it would not log in. It would not give me any errors, it would just return to the "Welcome to " Enter username page. I hard booted and during booting some of the checks failed. One of them was hostname. I then went back into single user mode and issued the set_parms command again, stand alone system and re-changed the host name to the original one then rebooted. This did not solve the problem.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Carolina

[Marcel Burggraeve]

Hi,

to solve your login problem you'll need to boot to single user mode again.
After that you should check /etc/hosts and /etc/rc.config.d/netconf

[Fabio Ettore]

Hi Carolina,

I think that you should verify the following things (of course in single user mode):

1. what reports hostname command?
2. what is into /etc/rc.config.d/netconf file about 'HOSTNAME' (it is the first line uncommented)?
3. what is into /etc/hosts about hostname or alias?
3. what is the exact message in /etc/rc.log?
If it runs fine then you will just see

----------------------------
Setting hostname
Output from "/sbin/rc1.d/S320hostname start"
----------------------------

otherwise you will see the reason of the failure.

In order to have a correct hostname by point 1-2-3 should be equal and into /etc/rc.log no error messages should appear about hostname.
If this is not your case then you could try to change manually hostname info into files of point 1-2-3 and reboot.

I hope this helps you.

Best regards,
Ettore

[Fabio Ettore]

I am a little drowsy this morning...
Of course point about /etc/rc.log is the point number 4 and no another 3.

Best regards,
Ettore

[Carolina Elmufdi]

All,

Thank you very much for your help. The hostname was more than 8 characters as indicated in the rc.log file. I went and did the set_parms command again and changed the hostname to be eight characters or less and now everything is fine.

I wanted your suggestion on a good book on HP UX system administration. There are a couple listed in Amazon and I'm not sure which one to pick. Any particular good ones you would reccomend?

Thanks again,
Carolina

[Robert-Jan Goossens]

Hi,

You can find good books here.

http://www.hp.com/hpbooks/subject.html#hp-ux

This one is very good.

http://www.hp.com/hpbooks/prentice/ptr_0130183741.html

Kind regards,
Robert-Jan