login and pw

[Bob]

Thanks for the info.
This is my machine. There is nothing on it at all. I've been trying to make 
the switch from ms home server to Ubuntu but I own a landscape company and 
got really busy. Installed the disk and had to set it aside until I had more 
time to learn and mess with it. That was back in June I think.

I probably could just reinstall the software since there is nothing on the 
HD.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gilles Gravier" <ggravier at fsfe.org>
To: "Ubuntu user technical support,not for general discussions" 
<ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 2:24 PM
Subject: Re: login and pw


> It's like trying to break into a machine.
>
> Linux (in general) and Ubuntu (in particular) is designed to make that
> HARD if not IMPOSSIBLE.
>
> So I'm going to assume you are the LEGITIMATE user of your machine...
>
> You need to boot with a Ubuntu live CD (which, if this really isyour
> machine and you just installed it, you should still have). Then when you
> have booted, you mount the machine's hard disk (/ partition) on, say,
> /mnt (Ubuntu will do that more or less automatically for you).
>
> Then you navigate to that partition's /etc directory ... so this will be
> something like /mnt/ubuntu/etc (but names might vary - just don't use
> simple /etc, that's on your live CD).
>
> In the hard disk's /etc you will find a file called passwd... this is
> where all users have their login names. You will find yours (or the one
> of the user you are trying to hack).
>
> For the password, most likely, it's impossible... Ubuntu, by default,
> uses encryption that is not breakable with today's computers available
> to people like you and me (and I work for Sun, I have some REALY FANCY
> hardware available). What you can do is edit the file called etc/shadow
> in the server's hard disk, and remove the encryption string (looks like
> a bunch of random caracters) and that will leave you with a blank 
> password.
>
> Alternatively, you could "chroot" to the /mnt/ubuntu/ (your server's
> mounted /), still from the live CD, and issue a "sudo passwd YourUser"
> and simply change the password to a known value. (chroot /mnt/ubuntu
> sudo passwd YourUser)...
>
> Note that these 2 methods let you reset YOUR password to something YOU
> know. If you are trying to break into somebody's account by doing that,
> they WILL notice the changed password (and, also, in some countries,
> that is plain illegal).
>
> Hope this helps,
> Gilles
>
> Bob wrote:
>> Is it possible to find out what My login and pw is?
>> I have been working on setting up a home server but got busy with work
>> and had set it aside for a while and forgot my info.
>>
>> Thanks
>> Bob
>
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