Reset Admin password?

[Inverted]

Hi,

I've been running kubunt 5.10 for a few weeks now, just tinkering and finding my way around, as it is my first proper go at linux.

I need to change a few settings, namely the display resolution and setup my adsl connection. One snag, I've forgotten my Administrator password. Is my only option to reinstal, or can I create a new user with admin rights?

Thanks in advance!

[decatur-linux]

Re: Reset Admin password?

Theoretically, there is no root password. When getting root privileges and the system asks for a password, enter your user password.

However, I found a way to give root a unique password: enter the following code in a terminal session--

sudo passwd

This will prompt you for a new "UNIX" password. Enter your new password, then retype it at the next prompt for verification. This will assign a new root password.

Hope this helps.

[Fenyx]

Re: Reset Admin password?

Only one problem... for sudo to work, you still need to know the admin password...

Basically, the Admin password is the password of the first user created during installation, so it's not very hard to forget (unless you're not using that first user account and forgot the password to that. )

[Inverted]

Re: Reset Admin password?

Basically, the Admin password is the password of the first user created during installation, so it's not very hard to forget (unless you're not using that first user account and forgot the password to that. )

Thst's my problem exactly! Doh!! I'm off to have a tinker with it now, I'm sure i wrote it down somewhere!

Thanks

[Fenyx]

Re: Reset Admin password?

oh that is indeed a problem. I'm not sure if there's a way around it.
Hmm... there might be a way to see the first user's password, but it will only work if two conditions are exactly met:
1. You have never change the first user's password after the install
2. You have not upgraded/patched your system on/after March 13, 2006.

If either of these are not met, well my workaround will definitely not work.

[Inverted]

Re: Reset Admin password?

Hi Jucat,

I do meet the two conditions you mention as I have been mainly using XP recently. I'm on a dual boot machine at the mo (XP and Kubuntu 5.10), I have another pc with debian on it, but it is currently stand alone.

I intend to move away from windows as much as possible, and will eventually have a network - but thats a little way off yet.

[Fenyx]

Re: Reset Admin password?

Ok, then. I'll give you that file that has that password, but you have to promise two things: (I forgot to mention a 3rd criteria, that you are using a clean install of Kubuntu 5.10, and not upgraded from 5.04. I'm just presuming that it's a clean install).

1. You will update your system after this, because this is actually a critical security flaw that was patched March 13, 2006.
2. You will not forget your Admin password again

Look for this file: /var/log/debian-installer/cdebconf/questions.dat
search that file for "Name:" entries as those will contain the username/password that you made during the install.

Once you got that (and have tested that it works), here's the security bulletin to patch that security flaw:
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=143622

Hope that works.

[Inverted]

Re: Reset Admin password?

Hi Jucato,

Thanks a lot for your help! I will make sure I don't forget it again!

It is a clean install, as you guessed. I will upgrade after testing.

Thanks again

[Fenyx]

Re: Reset Admin password?

Glad I could help. (Glad that it worked)
I find it weird and amusing that I've taught somebody take advantage of a security flaw in order to help him

[Mguel]

Re: Reset Admin password?

However, I found a way to give root a unique password: enter the following code in a terminal session--

sudo passwd

This will prompt you for a new "UNIX" password. Enter your new password, then retype it at the next prompt for verification. This will assign a new root password.

Hi I wanted to make sort of the opposite: I want to change my password (I'm the first and only user of Kubuntu in my pc), but also change the root password to the same, just as if I would have entered that password when installing kubuntu.

Under KDE menu, I have "change password" (command: kdepasswd), but I'm not sure if I use that only my user password would change and not the root one.

I would appreciate any clarification concerning this
Thanks

[Fenyx]

Re: Reset Admin password?

The default is that there is no root account, and therefore no root password. The password being asked when you run as root is your (first user created during install) password. Maybe for clarification, let's just call it the Admin password. So if you changed your password, naturally, the Admin password will also be changed.

That is the default. Unless you created a root account or enabled a root password, then you'd have to change them separately.

Hope that clears it up a bit.

[Mguel]

Re: Reset Admin password?

...Hope that clears it up a bit.

Crystal clear! Thanks!


PS: I can't set the password I want "is too simple/short"

[askrieger]

Re: Reset Admin password?

Change it to a password with a number and a non-alphabetical character. Then, change it back. It should work.

[kubicle]

Re: Reset Admin password?

Change it to a password with a number and a non-alphabetical character.  Then, change it back.  It should work.

Hmm...will that work with a 'too simple/too short' password? It works with a 'too similar' password.

As a general rule, you should abide with the restrictions...if it says it's too simple or too short, use a longer one or add numbers, capital letters and/or non alphanumeric characters.

If you really know what you're doing and understand the risks involved you can override the restrictions using sudo

sudo passwd [USERNAME]

You shouldn't use it on root or your admin user (the user that can use sudo), but is an option for secondary accounts (kids, for example). Another option is setting a simple admin user password and a strong root password, and configuring sudo to ask for the 'root' password (you'd still have to remember one strong password, though )

In some cases even the easy 'secondary' user passwords can be a security risk, as demonstrated by the latest (already fixed) security flaw with the installation password being clearly visible in the logs for all users.

A tip for creating stronger passwords:
The easiest way around the 'too simple/too short' is to add numbers to your password, for example:

1. Choose password: home (not a very good one
2. Add the number of letters in front: 4home
3. Add that number to your birth year and put those numbers in the middle and end of the word: 4ho7me9
4. Capitalize the letters around the central number: 4hO7Me9 (a whole lot better password)

Create your own rules to use. Although it might be difficult at first to remember the rule (if it is fairly complicated), you can use the same rule with all your passwords which makes it easy and efficient to come up with and remember stronger passwords when you need to.

[decatur-linux]

Re: Reset Admin password?

Is there a "random password generator" for Linx. Not that the generator would change the password, but that would generate a series of passwords from which you can choose. I remember there was one on the DEC Vax machines several years ago.

One trick that I use to generate a password not in a dictionary that is easy to remember is to take the first letter of a song lyric, such as Then I Saw Her Face, Now I'm A Believer, which would make the password tishfniab. You can, of course, add numbers or other characters to make it more difficult to crack.