[freebsd-questions] root passwd change

[Eric Pogroski]

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 08:55:54 -0400
Lowell Gilbert <freebsd-questions-local at be-well.no-ip.com> wrote:

> Eric Pogroski <pogrose at twcny.rr.com> writes:
> 
> > On Tue, 07 Oct 2003 19:37:19 +0000
> > DanB <longterm at chatusa.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > Is there other way to change the root password that been lost
> > > without shutting down the computer.
> > > 
> > > Old way shutdown space bar    boot -s  #mount  -t ufs -a
> > > #passwd
> > > # exit to multiusers.
> > 
> > Try this:
> > 
> > # shutdown now
> > < hit return to accept 'sh' as the default shell >
> > # passwd
> > # exit
> 
> Did you try that?
many, many times in the past... :)

> Won't it still be in the raised securelevel?
nope. sorry about the brevity of my previous reply, in a bit of a rush
then.

here's whats needed:

<presuming a full, multiuser system is running>
# shutdown now
# <hit return at the prompt for 'sh'> (csh & tcsh both go fubar in
single-user mode) <at this point, all of the filesystems are
still mounted> 
# passwd root	<--- this is important - lost one system by NOT doing
this
# exit	-or-	reboot	<--- I prefer a reboot, but that's me.


work's about 9 times out of 10. It's the tenth one that makes you bald
from frustration... :)

ps: 	cc your replies to questions at freebsd.org so this stuff will get
to the archives.