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User Related Problems

1. What can I do if I have forgotten my root password ?
2. how can i manually lock an account on suse linux? could i just do something on the file /etc/shadow?

1. What can I do if I have forgotten my root password ?

  1. Boot your PC

  2. at the lilo prompt 
    linux init=/bin/sh
    should give you the rootshell

  3. issue the command 
    mount / -n -o remount,rw
    to mount / writeable,

  4. issue passwd command and set a new password 

  5. mount / -n -o remount,ro

  6. after that you should be able after reboot to login with your new password.

2. how can i manually lock an account on suse linux? could i just do something on the file /etc/shadow?

vipw -s and change the passwd to "*", vipw and change the shell to /bin/false. Make sure to chmod -R 000 ~/.ssh

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