How to reset/recover the ROOT password in openSUSE
Posted by admin on July 25th, 2008
Don’t have to mention the panic that kicks in when you have forgot or misplaced your root user password. Like most other operating systems, openSUSE helps you to recover or reset the root password from the console.
Please try the following to reset/recover root password. This should work on openSUSE 11.0 & openSUSE 10.x (tested on openSUSE 10.3):
1. Boot the system and select the normal boot menu from the list. Once selected, in the “Boot Options” box type
“init=/bin/bash” if you are using GRUB Boot loader
“linux init=/bin/bash” if you are using LILO Boot Loader
This will launch you straight into a Bash shell prompt which comes up even before the Single User mode loads and has the “/” root file system mounted.
Do a mount command to check if the root file system “/” is mounted as Read-Write. In my system, it indeed mounted as Read-Write.
opensuse11:~ # mount
Else, you may need to remount the “/” file system with read-write as follows:
opensuse11:~ # mount -o remount,rw /
Now, simply type the passwd command and enter a new password:
opensuse11:~ # passwd
Changing password for root
New Password:
Reenter New Password:
Password changed
Reboot the system and you are back in business.
opensuse11:~ # reboot
This should help!
July 26th, 2008 at 12:17 am
[...] Please try the following to reset/recover root password. This should work on openSUSE 11.0 & openSUSE 10.x (tested on openSUSE 10.3): Read more at http://www.susegeek.com [...]
July 26th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
[...] How to reset/recover the ROOT password in openSUSE Don’t have to mention the panic that kicks in when you have forgot or misplaced your root user password. Like most other operating systems, openSUSE helps you to recover or reset the root password from the console. Please try the following to reset/recover root password. This should work on openSUSE 11.0 & openSUSE 10.x (tested on openSUSE 10.3): 1. Boot the system and select the normal boot menu from the list. Once selected, in the “Boot Options” box type “init=/bin/bash” if you are using GRUB Boot loader “linux init=/bin/bash” if you are using LILO Boot Loader How to reset/recover the ROOT password in openSUSE | SUSE & openSUSE [...]
September 16th, 2008 at 1:50 am
I’m astonished!
I tried and worked. Thanks a lot!
But where is the legendary Linux inviolability if anyone in 3 simplest steps can reset root password?
I’ll appreciate an answer very much. Thanks!
ellevi
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Since the reset is done at boot time, you would have to have physical access to the machine to be able to perform this task. So security is still unaffected, unless you leave your front door open:)
Mike
October 12th, 2008 at 3:34 am
If you need additional security against physical attacks at boot time, then GRUB allows you to set a boot loader password, which prevents settings from being changed.
That way you will have to boot from a CD and reset that first, but you can prevent that as well by using a BIOS password. Then you have to physically get inside the machine and remove the battery to reset that.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Wow! Thanks..
October 16th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I agree with Michael and Richard until the scenario is an opensuse system on a well guarded server.
But what about an opensuse on a notebook that can easily be lost or stolen?
December 9th, 2008 at 8:40 am
[...] what makes Linux so secure and free from viruses and malware. To get it back have a read here and here Geoff [...]
January 28th, 2009 at 2:55 am
still good for opensuse 11.1 also…
actualy this procedure should be okay for just about any linux that boots from GRUB or LILO.
@Ellevi: for protecting a notebook, you essentially need to protext the data on your harddrive from being read by any operating system (once someone has your PC, there’s nothing to stop them cracking open the box taking out the drive and putting it in their own machine).
Take a look at openSUSE’s hard-drive encryption tools, and the hard-drive encryption how-to. For something really secure, you’re going to have to store the encryption key on a removable medium kept separate from the notebook and enter a passphrase each time you boot. There is no other way for the truly paranoid…
My work (big IT company) uses Pointsec for PC (Windows XP) — it decrypts the drive upon boot and relies on Windows security to avoid reading the drive unless you can log into Windows. It’s good enough, but not fool-proof either, since there are ways to bypass Windows security too…
March 25th, 2009 at 6:41 am
Thank you very much. I needed this 1st boot since i messed up the passwd! doh!