Root shell invalid

[Vassilios]

Hi all:

I accidentally changed the root shell , in the /etc/passwd file, to a path that doesnt exist. I get NO SHELL response from the system when i try to login, or su from a different user.

What can i do? Can i do su root -c "some command to force a new shell path". Does anyone know of that command syntax?

I prefer to do something like use the su command , or ftp command to change the password file, but nothing is working. I dont want to reboot using a new media. I have the boot CDROM, but i cant boot to single user mode; To boot into single user mode, u need to be logged in as root.

Thanks

[Luk Vandenbussche]

Hi,

You must boot into single user mode to change /etc/passwd again.

Stop you applications and power down the server. Restart the server and go into single user mode

[Chan 007]

Hi,

You can try to boot with single user mode. It will not ask you to login, as this is a maintenance boot mode. So don't worry. Just boot in the single user mode.

Once you at at #, just vi /etc/passwd and change that. Some times you may need to mount /usr and /var.

Ensure that you are logged/access console via MP or GSP or directly the console.

Chan

[Vassilios]

Hi. I cannot stop any applications, the only user with any permissions to do any of that was in fact root.

When I just press the power button, to powerdown the system, at what point do i need to make sure i get into single user mode.

Thanks

[Fabien GUTIERREZ]

if you have sudo configured you can get rid of this problem with a sudo vipasswd.

[Vassilios]

OK.. look i've gotta come clean here, i didnt want to say anything, but this is a sun V220 server. I love HP, i think HP are the best, but the SUN support forum is closed.

Long live HP.

Can i still get support?

Thanks

[Arunvijai_4]

Hi,

Take a look at these threads,

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?threadId=594770
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=82975

-Arun

[MarkSyder]

When the system is on its way back up you will get a message giving you 10 seconds to press any key to interrupt the boot. You then need to type:

bo pri

Interact with IPL? answer y

when you get a prompt type:

hpux -is

This will take you into single user mode.

Mark Syder (like the drink but spelt different)

[MarkSyder]

I've just seen your reference to Sun (it wasn't there when I started typing my answer).

I have no knowledge of Sun and do not know how to boot into single-user mode in it.

Mark

[Chan 007]

Have you tried

sytem# su (only) from other user instead of su -

That option will login without using the shell.

Chan

[Luk Vandenbussche · Accepted solution]

Vassilios,

You need your solaris installation media to solve this problem on a sun server.

[Borislav Perkov]

Hi,
If you can't reboot the system in single user mode from command, push reset bottom, interrupt the booting proces and on OK prompt type boot -s to enter the single user mode then you can make the changes.
Regards,
Borislav

[Vassilios]

Hi,

The question is: How do i interrupt the boot process?

I pressed the reset button, and there is no 10 second grace period to enter the maintenance mode (as on HP)

Moreover, i'm connected using a PC as a console: i.e there's no STOP+A button.

This is a nightmare,

Thanks,

[Borislav Perkov]

In that case if you using the serial port you shut enter Ctrl+Break and you will go in OK prompt

[Borislav Perkov]

ops shut -> should

[Borislav Perkov]

try with this procedure:
http://gd.tuwien.ac.at/sun/solaris/sol2faq/Q5.47.html
or general
http://gd.tuwien.ac.at/sun/solaris/sol2faq/index.html

[Borislav Perkov]

http://www.adminschoice.com/docs/solaris_error_messages_o_s.htm#errno197

[Vassilios]

Hi. It says that I should use the break key. I'm in sweden, there are no break keys,
We've got control keys, escape keys etc, but no break key.

I pressed ESCAPE+CTRL KEY, and what happens is that it launches the microsoft start menu. Please help? This is a desperate situation. Thank you everyone

[Borislav Perkov]

ARE YOU CONNECT TO SERIAL PORT ON THE SERVER?
IF YOU ARE, TRY Ctrl+Pause. Else you can't do it from network connection and without installation CD. Sorry

[Vassilios]

Hi.
OK. I found an application that gets me into the OK prompt.
Once i'm in the OK promot, do i do a

boot cdrom -s
or
boot -s

I mean, if i just boot into single user mode, do you think that should be OK?

If i boot from CDROM, what happens from there?

Thanks again

[Borislav Perkov]

Look the links I send you from my last 2 responces. last one is:
http://www.adminschoice.com/docs/solaris_error_messages_o_s.htm#errno197
You must boot from CD and then mount the partition where the /etc/passwd is, and after that with editor ed or vi make the changes of the shell in /etc/passwd.
Regards,
Borislav

[Vassilios]

Hi.

The website says to do the following:

"....
After the system comes up and gives you a
# prompt,

mount the device corresponding to the original / partition somewhere, such
as with a mount(1M) command similar to the one below. Then run an editor on the newly-mounted system password file (use ed(1) if
terminal support is lacking):

# mount /dev/dsk/c0t3d0s0 /mnt # ed /mnt/etc/passwd

So, how can i find out the filesystem to mount, doing a cat on /etc/vfstab only gives me 3 filesystems, and not one is of a physical system.

Cheers

[Robert-Jan Goossens]

Yes from ok> prompt use boot -s

ok> boot -s

if your system is up, use vi to change the shell to /sbin/sh (default root shell for solaris 9)

[Borislav Perkov]

You should know on which partition is the /etc.
You have to start it again in normal mode and see where is the root partition. aAfter that boot from CD and make the changes

[Vassilios]

Hi all:

So, Robert-Jan's remark was to boot into single user mode, and from there vi and change the /etc/passwd file back to
what it should be.

Surely, at the console prompt, it will still ask me for a password, and subsequently fail due to No shell?


Concerning Borislav's response:

OK, so in normal mode I do:

a) a vi /etc/fstab (find out what the root partition is)
b) mount the root partition using mount /dev/dsk/ /a
c) vi /a/etc/passwd

....

Is that correct? First of all , fstab doesnt exist... how else therefore can i find out the root partition?

Thanks,