SPARC 10, SunOS 5.5.1, root passwd

From: Lawrence LeMay <lemay_at_cs.umn.edu>
Date: Fri Nov 24 22:09:46 2000

Assuming noone has set the prom security password, you could boot the
system with a known hardware problem, in an attempt to force the OS to
drop you into root. On much older hardware, and prior to sun prom
security passwords, the classic method was to unplug the keyboard, power
on the system, and when it dropped into root, plug the keyboard back in.

The method would probably need to be adapted for more modern hardware.

Of course, the brute force answer is to reinstall the system from scratch.
Or, install onto a different HD, and also connect and mount the hard
drive you have, and then edit the password file, and swap the drive back.

-Lawrence LeMay


> hey,
>
> The root pass I set (or thought I set) doesn't work.
> I did the boot -s thing and got a "***NO ENTRY FOR root IN
> PASSWORD FILE! ***" message. When I try to set the passwd I'm told that
> root does not exist.
> I'm a newbie on suns, pity me.
>
> thanks,
> phillip
>
>
>
Received on Fri Nov 24 2000 - 22:09:46 GMT