Linux Tips

Our last article on how to reset your Ubuntu password easily through the grub menu was quite popular, so I've decided to make a series on all the different ways to reset your password on either Linux or Windows… today's lesson is how to use the Live CD to reset the password. Note that we'll also cover how to protect yourself against somebody else resetting your password, so stay tuned! Of course, this method will also work if you've installed your Ubuntu Live CD to a thumb drive . Resetting the Password You'll want to boot from your Ubuntu Live CD, choosing "Try Ubuntu without any change to your computer" from the boot menu. Once the system boots, open up a new Terminal window from Applications \ Accessories and then type in the following command: sudo fdisk -l This command is used to tell what device name the hard drive is using, which in most cases should be /dev/sda1, but could be different on your system. Now you'll need to create ...

If you've ever forgotten your password, you aren't alone… it's probably one of the most common tech support problems I've encountered over the years. Luckily if you are using Ubuntu they made it incredibly easy to reset your password. All it takes is adjusting the boot parameters slightly and typing a command or two, but we'll walk you through it. Reset Your Ubuntu Password Reboot your computer, and then as soon as you see the GRUB Loading screen, make sure to hit the ESC key so that you can get to the menu. Root Shell - Easy Method If you have the option, you can choose the "recovery mode" item on the menu, usually found right below your default kernel option. Then choose "Drop to root shell prompt" from this menu. This should give you a root shell prompt. Alternate Root Shell Method If you don't have the recovery mode option, this is the alternate way to manually edit the grub options to allow for a root shell. First you'll ...