noob having trouble with passwords - FIXED

[Josh]

After some trouble with the hard drive in my laptop I replaced it and tried to install kubuntu. The instalation kept failing @ 74% during the "installing remaining packages" stage (md5 good). I finished the instalation without the remaining packages and used the recovery mode and apt-get to install xserver, kubuntu-desktop, etc. When I started the desktop the login screen came up and I was able to log in no problem. Now though niether my password nor the root password work in Adept or the terminal windows (I haven't checkd any other programs, but I'm assuming the same). I'm afraid to log out because I don't know if I'll be able to log in again. Any ideas for a lost noob?
Running 5.10 on
ECS G732 Notebook
p4 3.06
ATI Mobility 9000
1024 RAM
WD 80GB HD

[askrieger]

Re: noob having trouble with passwords

Look at this page from the Ubuntu Wiki: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/RootSudo

[Josh]

Re: noob having trouble with passwords

Ok, I'm able to log out then log back in with my user password so at least that works. I still can't use Adept or enter Administrative mode. Either my root password doesn't work or I don't have permission? I read the RootSudo article but I don't really understand. I tried to run Adept using kdesu like it says, but when it prompts for password my user password is invalid and my root password brings up a "su returned with an error"

[Josh]

Re: noob having trouble with passwords

**Update**

  I'm able to log in as root with the root password in the virtual terminal by Ctrl+Alt+F1, but I don't really know the virtual terminal so I can't do anything usefull. When I Ctrl+Alt+F7 back to X (still in root, I think), Adept and Admin mode logins return "inncorect password." For whatever reason I'm no longer getting the "su error". This probably sounds stupid, but I'm learning on the fly. Can runlevel affect ability to use root or aps requiring passwords? If so, how do I check/change runlevel?

[askrieger]

Re: noob having trouble with passwords

When starting your computer after a shutdown or a reboot, use the down arrow to get to the second choice on the menu (I can't recall whether it's called "safe mode", or "rescue mode", or "single user mode", because I haven't rebooted in a couple of months). That will start you in run level 1, which is a black and white full screen console. You will still need to use sudo to gain administrative privileges.

Normally, (K)Ubuntu starts in run level 2, which is supposed to be a full Graphical User Interface. Levels 3, 4, and 5 are identical to level 2. Level 6 is entered to initiate a shutdown (and possible reboot). In some other distros, the normal mode in level 5. More generally, Linux really only uses 3 levels: 1 for single user mode, 2 or 5 for normal mode, and 6 for shutdown. These modes have virtually nothing to do with the choice by (K)Ubuntu, Apple and some BSDs, to use the sudo mechanism to grant members of the admin group "root" privileges, instead of using a special user named "root".

When you are in the normal run level 2 GUI environment. You can run non-graphical commands and software in two ways. You can start a KDE konsole, or you can use Ctl-Alt F1, F2,...F6 to start a full screen black and white console (Ctl-Alt F7 gets you back to the GUI). You can log in to this console as "root", but you really don't have to. Everything that root does in most Linux and Unix distros can be done with sudo in (K)Ubuntu.

I hope I haven't totally confused you. What I'm trying to do is to give you a little context for some of the more detailed responses you will get.

[Josh]

Re: noob having trouble with passwords

Thanks for clearing that up, Askrieger. I guess the runlevel isn't the problem. If I can't figure out how to fix this, I may just do a clean install. The thing is, I had so many problems installing the first time, with multiple iso's on multible CD's (even an "official" mail order one) stopping at the exact same spot, that I'm dreading trying again.
Does anyone here know how to do a clean install over the internet? I was able to do it for this instalation, but only after the CD did the partitioning, installed the base system, and set up passwords and my account. And obviously I did something wrong, or I wouldn't be having the problems I am now.