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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.rmit.EDU.AU!goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au!news.apana.org.au!cantor.edge.net.au!news.teragen.com.au!news.access.net.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!feed1.news.erols.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!sprint!uunet!in3.uu.net!208.192.224.3!news.interactive.net!newonyx.interactive.net!not-for-mail From: <ritz@interactive.spamthis.net> Subject: Re: Root Password X-Nntp-Posting-User: ritz Organization: IBS Interactive, Inc. Lines: 28 Message-ID: <E8LqEn.In7@news.interactive.net> References: <33506884.2B7@persephone.pinehurst.net> <E8KJ35.Lzp@news.interactive.net> <33513645.41C67EA6@diamond.xtalwind.net> X-Trace: 860977390/23823 X-Nntp-Posting-Host: newonyx.interactive.net Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 00:23:11 GMT Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:6639 jack <jack@diamond.xtalwind.net> wrote: :P~ritz@interactive.spamthis.net wrote: :P~> :P~> Beth Morgan <isplist@persephone.pinehurst.net> wrote: :P~> :P~Does anyone know what would happen if nobody knew the root password on a :P~> :P~machine? Would one simply have to re-install everything and start over? :P~> :P~For example, what if the System Administrator were to be fired (or :P~> :P~something) and refused to reveak the password? How would anyone else be :P~> :P~able to change it? :P~> :P~> You reboot the machine into single-user mode and change the root :P~> password. It takes all of 2 minutes. :P~If the outgoing SA was po'ed enough not to leave the password behind he :P~probably took <2 minutes to set /dev/console to insecure in /etc/ttys. :P~:( That would indeed be nasty. Then you'd have to go to all the trouble of booting from a floppy, mounting the hard drive, and then changing it back to secure. :-) Chris -- Christopher Mauritz | For info on internet access: ritz@interactive.net | finger/mail info@interactive.net OR IBS Interactive, Inc. | http://www.interactive.net/