Tony Alfrey said the following on 05/22/2011 08:17 PM:

Andrew Joakimsen wrote:

...

If you can't boot to single user mode, then boot from a live CD, backup /etc/shadow and null the password for root.

Thanks. I do not have a Live DC for this old, old distro,

You don't need it; any LiveCD will do. Boot from the LiveCD and mount the hard disk's "/" partition. Some LiveCDs will do this automatically for you.

I will have to ask you what one does to "null the password";

Try using a text editor. -- If you would thoroughly know anything, teach it to others. Tryon Edwards (1809 - 1894) -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org

Andrew Joakimsen wrote:

On Sun, May 22, 2011 at 20:17, Tony Alfrey <tonyalfrey@earthlink.net> wrote:

...

Thanks. I do not have a Live DC for this old, old distro, but I have the original install disk. I am going to back up the entire / to another disk.

I will have to ask you what one does to "null the password"; I will Google also.

Any disc will work. Something like SysRescueCd will work (IMO) better since it won't boot to a GUI.

/etc/shadow stores the encrypted password ("shadow passwords") so if you blank it out you should be able to login as root with a null password.

Thanks. The issue may not be password, while it happens when I try to login with the password. The message is: "The following installation problem was detected while trying to start KDE: No write access to /root/.ICEauthority KDE is unable to start" I cannot find the file /root/.ICEauthority in spite of looking for hidden files (by looking from another hard drive). But I can logon from a normal user. I have .ICEauthority in /home/tony , tony is the normal user. -- Tony Alfrey tonyalfrey@earthlink.net "I'd Rather Be Sailing" -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org

Carlos E. R. wrote:

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1

On 2011-05-23 03:38, Tony Alfrey wrote:

...

"The following installation problem was detected while trying to start KDE:

Do not start KDE as root. Never. Nor gnome.

Log in as user, then start the needed application as root, not the entire environment.

I understand the reasoning behind this, but I do not have a choice in this particular instance for reasons that are not worth belaboring. However, based on some things I found Googling, I discovered that I could simply create an empty binary .ICEauthority in root and, at least at this point, the problem is solved. If I screw up the works, I'll "call back" but at least temporarily, some important body parts are out of the fire, so to speak. Thanks -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org

Tony Alfrey said the following on 05/22/2011 08:17 PM:

Andrew Joakimsen wrote:

...

If you can't boot to single user mode, then boot from a live CD, backup /etc/shadow and null the password for root.

Thanks. I do not have a Live DC for this old, old distro,

You don't need it; any LiveCD will do. Boot from the LiveCD and mount the hard disk's "/" partition. Some LiveCDs will do this automatically for you.

I will have to ask you what one does to "null the password";

Try using a text editor. -- If you would thoroughly know anything, teach it to others. Tryon Edwards (1809 - 1894) -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org

Andrew Joakimsen wrote:

On Sun, May 22, 2011 at 20:17, Tony Alfrey <tonyalfrey@earthlink.net> wrote:

...

Thanks. I do not have a Live DC for this old, old distro, but I have the original install disk. I am going to back up the entire / to another disk.

I will have to ask you what one does to "null the password"; I will Google also.

Any disc will work. Something like SysRescueCd will work (IMO) better since it won't boot to a GUI.

/etc/shadow stores the encrypted password ("shadow passwords") so if you blank it out you should be able to login as root with a null password.

Thanks. The issue may not be password, while it happens when I try to login with the password. The message is: "The following installation problem was detected while trying to start KDE: No write access to /root/.ICEauthority KDE is unable to start" I cannot find the file /root/.ICEauthority in spite of looking for hidden files (by looking from another hard drive). But I can logon from a normal user. I have .ICEauthority in /home/tony , tony is the normal user. -- Tony Alfrey tonyalfrey@earthlink.net "I'd Rather Be Sailing" -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org

Carlos E. R. wrote:

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1

On 2011-05-23 03:38, Tony Alfrey wrote:

...

"The following installation problem was detected while trying to start KDE:

Do not start KDE as root. Never. Nor gnome.

Log in as user, then start the needed application as root, not the entire environment.

I understand the reasoning behind this, but I do not have a choice in this particular instance for reasons that are not worth belaboring. However, based on some things I found Googling, I discovered that I could simply create an empty binary .ICEauthority in root and, at least at this point, the problem is solved. If I screw up the works, I'll "call back" but at least temporarily, some important body parts are out of the fire, so to speak. Thanks -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org