Regarding password

valmiki.prasad · 05-03-2008, 10:47 AM

Hi, My system is loaded with RedHat Linux AS 4 and I need to reset/remove/change the login password that is prompted as soon as the pc boots. Plz provide me the procedure for this purpose.
Thanks in advance

johnhook · 05-03-2008, 12:57 PM

valmiki.prasad,

If you installed the Linux OS and already know the root password and can login as root, this is as simple as opening a terminal screen, and type "su" to become root, then type "passwd" and it will prompt you for a new password.

If you don't know the root password, this site is not authorized to provide advice about hacking or changing OS passwords.

- John

lensman3 · 05-03-2008, 04:38 PM

If you a superuser and need to change another users password, then do "passwd other-user-name". You can then change the other users password. Use the following to lock out a user: "passwd -d other-user-name". The user account now only becomes accessible to the root account, that means, only the superuser can re-enable the account by giving it new password. Actually all that happens is that and exclamation point (bang) is written into the password field of the file '/etc/shadow'.

Look at the passwd programs option -l (ell). This locks the account perpending the bang on the hashed password. The -u option will unlock the account and still preserve the old password.

By the way, if you type in a short password or a password that is easy to crack (NOT A GOOD IDEA), the passwd program will complain. But if you type the same short password, when it asks, in a second time, it will accept the password.

05-03-2008, 10:47 AM	#1 (permalink)
valmiki.prasad Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 25 OS: Windows XP with SP3	Regarding password Hi, My system is loaded with RedHat Linux AS 4 and I need to reset/remove/change the login password that is prompted as soon as the pc boots. Plz provide me the procedure for this purpose. Thanks in advance

05-03-2008, 12:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
johnhook Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 810 OS: MS SBS 2003 SP2	Re: Regarding password valmiki.prasad, If you installed the Linux OS and already know the root password and can login as root, this is as simple as opening a terminal screen, and type "su" to become root, then type "passwd" and it will prompt you for a new password. If you don't know the root password, this site is not authorized to provide advice about hacking or changing OS passwords. - John

05-03-2008, 04:38 PM	#3 (permalink)
lensman3 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Littleton, Colorado USA Posts: 407 OS: xp 64 sp2 Fedora Core 8 (vmware xp core 8 x32) Minix	Re: Regarding password If you a superuser and need to change another users password, then do "passwd other-user-name". You can then change the other users password. Use the following to lock out a user: "passwd -d other-user-name". The user account now only becomes accessible to the root account, that means, only the superuser can re-enable the account by giving it new password. Actually all that happens is that and exclamation point (bang) is written into the password field of the file '/etc/shadow'. Look at the passwd programs option -l (ell). This locks the account perpending the bang on the hashed password. The -u option will unlock the account and still preserve the old password. By the way, if you type in a short password or a password that is easy to crack (NOT A GOOD IDEA), the passwd program will complain. But if you type the same short password, when it asks, in a second time, it will accept the password.