login and pw

Gilles Gravier ggravier at fsfe.org
Wed Dec 2 20:09:04 UTC 2009


Probably faster to re-install, indeed...with a RECENT Ubuntu (9.10). :)

In June you only had 9.04...

Gilles

Bob wrote:
> 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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>>     
>
>
>   




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