From: knobi@knobi.munich.sgi.com (Martin Knoblauch)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi.admin
Subject: Re: Forgotten root password
Date: 22 Dec 92 17:05:36 GMT
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: knobi.munich.sgi.com

In article <1h7chsINNapi@fido.asd.sgi.com>, knobi@knobi.munich.sgi.com
(Martin Knoblauch) writes:
|> In article <9949@fs3.cam.nist.gov>, blue@cam.nist.gov
|> (Jim_Blue_x3809)
|> writes:
|> |> On my 4D25, 4.0.5, how do I recover if I forget the root
|> password?
|> |> Is recovery different on the Indigo that I am ordering to replace
|> |> it?
|> 
|>   My favourite solution (in case you can log in into a non-
|> root account):
|> 
|> a) cp /etc/passwd /tmp/passwd
|> b) remove root passwd from /tmp/passwd using your 
|>    favourite editor
|> c) bring system into single user mode. You might have to reset
|>    the system for that. In the PROM monitor "setenv initstate s"
|>    and "auto" boot.
|> d) In single user mode, copy /tmp/passwd into /etc/passwd. Bring
|>    system into multi user state and set a new root password.
|> e) Don't forget the new password.
|> 
|>   If the procedure does not work, because you have no open/known
|> account, you have to reset the system, bring it into single user
|> and try to generate a password file with a open root account. You
|> can try to do:
|> 
|> cat >>/etc/passwd
|> root1::0:0:Super-User:/:/bin/csh
|> ^D
|> 
|>   then go multiuser, log in as root1, set a new password for root,
|> remove root1 for security reasons and continue with e) from above.
|> Do a few sync's before you reset the system in order to minimize
|> the risk of disc corruption during that procedure.
|> 
|>   On an Indigo the procedure is identical. The only problem is that
|> you can set and forget a ROOT password also. If you forget both
                            ^^^^
  I wanted to say PROM. Sorry.

|> passwords, things get messy and you should contact your support
|> office to avoid destroying your hardware and warranty.
|> 
|> 
|>   Hope this helps
|> Martin
|> -- 
|>
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------+
|> |Martin Knoblauch                 | Silicon Graphics GmbH           
|> |
|> |Application Support              | Am Hochacker 3 - Technopark     
|> |
|> |Silicon Graphics Computer Systems| W-8011 Grasbrunn-Neukeferloh,
|> FRG|
|> |                                 | Phone: (+int) 89 46108-179 or -0
|> |
|> |                                 | Fax:   (+int) 89 46108-222      
|> |
|>
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------+
|> |Network: <knobi@sgi.com>         | V-Mail: 8935   | M/S: IMU-315   
|> |
|>
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

-- 
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------+
|Martin Knoblauch                 | Silicon Graphics GmbH            |
|Application Support              | Am Hochacker 3 - Technopark      |
|Silicon Graphics Computer Systems| W-8011 Grasbrunn-Neukeferloh, FRG|
|                                 | Phone: (+int) 89 46108-179 or -0 |
|                                 | Fax:   (+int) 89 46108-222       |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------+
|Network: <knobi@sgi.com>         | V-Mail: 8935   | M/S: IMU-315    |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi,comp.sys.sgi.bugs,comp.unix.ultrix