Re: [Resolved] Re: When fogetting assigned login name rather than password
On 20140315_090852, Richard Owlett wrote:
> Scott Ferguson wrote:
> >On 15/03/14 22:29, Tom Furie wrote:
> >>On Sat, Mar 15, 2014 at 10:09:33PM +1100, Scott Ferguson wrote:
> >>>On 15/03/14 21:45, Richard Owlett wrote:
> >>
> >>>>If another OS had not been available but I knew the root
> >>>>password, is there some way I could have gained access as
> >>>>root?
> >>
> >>># passwd `grep 1000 /etc/passwd | cut -d : -f1`
> >>
> >>That doesn't help him until he's logged into the system.
> >
> >Richard has clearly said "if I knew the root password" "as root"
> >So he *can* login to the system.
> >Why he didn't, is the question. ;)
> >
> >Perhaps he tried from a GUI login which only permitted a userlogin
> >(but didn't prompt with the username and didn't, or couldn't
> >(Crtl+backspace etc) didn't work - still wouldn't explain why he
> >didn't just boot into the rescue console. Perhaps his fu was low?
> >
>
> "Fu"? Evidently I had no fu to be low on.
>
> Sequence was:
> Do full install install of Squeeze to sda1. Only non-default was
> size of install partition.
> Do very minimal install to sda7 - i.e. no GUI, CLI only.
> Do nothing for a week thus forgetting the "user name" associated
> with install on sda7.
>
> I thought I had tried to respond "root" at the "login:" prompt and
> not being surprised that it didn't work. I thought that was what
> happened several months ago in a similar situation - that time I just
> wiped the disk and started over.
>
> To other questions raised explicitly/implicitly:
> 1. I accept all defaults except allowing networks, size/location of
> install partition, and what packages installed.
> 2. The user name for the install on sda1 is always "richard". I
> "users"
> share the same password. "root" on all partitions share the same
> password.
> I'm the only one to have physical or electronic access ;)
> 3. My boot system is Grub 1.98 .
> 4. Ralf was correct saying "IOW the OP remembers the password for
> UID 1000,
> but not the name for UID".
>
I think that before the boot process actually begins one is offered
the possibility of booting into single user mode. This allows one to
poke around on the hard disk. The only requirement to enter this mode
is that one give the password, not the user name.
The misspelling of forget is an amusing indication of your state of
mind while all this transpired. ;-)
--
Paul E Condon
pecondon@mesanetworks.net
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