Changing/Removing Kubuntu Password

[Faunah]

Would like some help removing/changing a password from a Kubuntu user name. I've started up the machine in Recovery mode and entered the root password for system changes. Then I've typed in:

passwd username

(with username being the substitute for the real one)

I'm prompted with a command list and so I type in:

passwd -d username

But again, it doesn't seem to do anything except call up the command list again and restate the usage: passwd [OPTIONS] [LOGIN]

What would be the step-by-step process, with "enter as shown" command lines included, for changing/removing a password from an existing kubuntu user account with the ultimate goal of accessing the login at the start up screen?

[Snowhog]

Re: Changing/Removing Kubuntu Password

As I understand the passwd command (run as root), to change a users password you would type:

passwd username

You will be prompted to enter the users current password. After the password is entered correctly you are prompted twice for a replacement password. The second entry is compared to the first and both must match in order for the password to be changed.

If you just want to delete the password of the user, type:

passwd -d username

Type man passwd for more information on using the command.

Added: I'm running HH w/KDE 3.5.9 so the above is based on that. What version of Kubuntu are you using, and with what version of KDE?

[Faunah]

Re: Changing/Removing Kubuntu Password

I've typed

passwd username

and

passwd -d username

The first doesn't prompt for an original password, and the second doesn't confirm a deletion. It simply prompts the command usage, listing all the options -- delete, etc.

[kubicle]

Re: Changing/Removing Kubuntu Password

If you run

passwd [username]

as root, if doesn't prompt for the old password (even root shouldn't know a user's password...although he/she can change it)...it should ask for a new password (twice), of course.

It simply prompts the command usage, listing all the options -- delete, etc.

Hmm, this usually means a syntax error or a typo in the command, but I can't see any in the examples you provided. I can say the commands work as they should on my end, although I didn't try recovery mode.

[Faunah]

Re: Changing/Removing Kubuntu Password

didn't seem to matter if i was root, the syntax wasn't reading for whatever reason as root. Ran sudo startx despite the juju about that and changed the user password from there.

[Snowhog]

Re: Changing/Removing Kubuntu Password

You may have missed my added note, so ...

What version of Kubuntu are you running? If it's Hardy Heron, are you running it with KDE 3.5.9, or Hardy Heron remix (KDE 4.0.x)?