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On Fri, 2005-08-26 at 20:42 -0400, Allen wrote:
On Fri, Aug 26, 2005 at 01:23:43PM -0400, Mike McMullin wrote:
On Fri, 2005-08-26 at 23:54 +1000, Basil Chupin wrote:
I've nad the need to look at what is available on the 'net about what to do when one forgets what the root password is.
Is it really THAT simple on SuSE to alter the password for the root? Anyone can boot my system and go about altering my root password to be then able to steal all my secrets?
Would that be something along the lines of boot a bootable cd, get a root console, mount the / of the computer in question read write, and then edit out the root password in /etc/passwd. Shut the system down,, reboot in init 3 log in as root and then reset it's password?
You allow that to work? On my boxes if you do that, it doesn't work and you can no longer log in.
I may have missed a thing or two in the description, but that is basically how I've done it in the past.
I've had to do this a couple of times when other folks have forgotten the root password. The physical security of a system is also important. You can of course remove the option to boot from cd, in the BIOS and then password protect the BIOS. However, IIRC there are mother-boards that have a "short" pin that resets the mother board to original factory, which probably removes the password protection.
Yes it does.
I wish I knew where that pin was in DELL systems. I'm sure that I'm going to want that knowledge sooner or later.
No machine is secure, no computer can't be hacked, and if you tink you can make one that is it's because it doesn't have a power cord.
Location, location, location. It's not just for businesses any more.