how to recover the root password of my linux system i

hai friends

I am new user for RH-Enterprise Linux.I forgot my rootpassword which prevented me to enter in to the root account.Can any one help me in recovering that in easy way.

cheers
ballu

Hello ballu,

Check here . If you need further explantion, please let me know

Hello nske,

Thanks for your help.But is their any way to recover root password not by booting the system through bootable media .Because presently i am in admin account so... is their any way.

cheers
ballu.

hmm.. Is there some specific reason you don't want to do it this way? Sorry but it seems a little suspicious to me..

Anyway, if you do not want to to it this way, then you are asking for "privilege escalation", which is by no means something that can be given instructions for. Literally speaking, the password itself is hardly recoverable anyway since it is strongly encrypted, it can only be recovered through brute force which doesn't even worth the time to try -besides you'd need a copy of it's hash, available only to root. If it is indeed your own system, your best option is to change it, otherwise if it's not you'll not get any help

Hello nske,

This is the reply from MaXiMuSI on query how to recover the root password more easily:-

( I believe there is a much easier way to get root access on a linux machine by logging in via the single user mode.

For LILO
All u gotta do is type "linux single" or "linux 1" and boot

For GRUB
1) Press e to edit
2) Select the kernel line.Press e to edit ,enter value as single or 1 .
3) Press enter again.
4) Press b to boot.

If you are asked for a password here ,then this trick won't work but if you get to a prompt ,simply type passwd and change it to whatever you like.)

My dought is where should i enter '1' in the kernal line after hitting
'e' to edit? every thing is done fine exept this.

cheers
ballu

Just go at the edit prompt by selecting your kernel from the list, then press "e", then in the new list select the line that begins with "kernel ..." , go to the end of that line and enter "single" or "1" (without the quoation marks). Then press "b".

It may or may not work, depending on the runlevel 1 script configuration of Redhat.

PS. I erased your post at the other thread, since it was exactly the same and I answered here. No need to post twice