Just now I'm with a mobile and will not write long. Of course everybody understands to backup the important files if reinstalling the whole computer? This is just a computer, not a house; to a debian system is normally not a big thing. If the machine has got some parts, which are not working with the standard configuration, then it might befome difficult... One more thing: Tina: have you checked at your 'firefox' that it for sure allows the net connection? Please look at 'file' column. -hv
------------------------------ On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 2:47 PM EEST Scott Ferguson wrote: >On 03/04/12 20:44, Hannu Virtanen wrote: >> >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Scott Ferguson <prettyfly.producti...@gmail.com> >> >> -hv said: >> >>> I think that you need to get root password. >>> You maybe better to reinstall the whole thing >> >> Scott Ferguson said: >> >> *If* Tina had the root password she wouldn't need to rebuild everything. >> >> ------------- >> >> Yes I agree. *If* Tina had the root password, she could probably fix it >> quite easily.� >> But now she doesn't have it. >> >> So maybe best to reinstall everything. > >Maybe - but without hearing from Tina we're just guessing. And a >scenario where reinstalling "fixes things" requires a lot of guessing. > >Guessing that either Tina doesn't have anything to back up, or does and >has somewhere to backup to (and knows how to perform backups). > >Guessing that Tina knows how to install and configure GNU/Linux on that >laptop - and has both the time and the motivation. > >Certainly I don't know how long she's had the laptop, or why she can't >either get support or the root password from the system builder. > >> >> I think that it is not configured the right way. > >That "appears" to be the case - though I suspect she either needs to >configure WPA(2) and/or needs the name of her local (home) network and a >password. > > >> And if she would reinstall everything wlan would start working. > >Maybe. Big maybe. If the home network requires a password that she >doesn't currently know, then she still won't be able to connect. > > >> The machine seems not to be old or broken. > >I'm guessing it's not broken. It's definitely not very old, and will >connect to most current wireless networks. > >> >> And while reinstalling it she could give to it such a root password, which >> she would remember. > >Perhaps. > >> >> Somebody made a problem to give the machine away without giving >> the root password with it. > >Maybe. Unless the client specifies needing the root password *and* >doesn't want a support contract - I don't give them the root password. > >> It is difficult to configure it without knowing the root >> password. > >No. Only if the user isn't in sudoers. That 'may' be the case but I'm >not certain of it yet. > >(If I knew how to find the root password, I wouldn't tell it here.) > >I hear that a lot - and it's always wrong. > >Do you believe if you knew where the root password was (/etc/shadow) you >should keep it a secret so that no-one knew? Seriously? > >What happens when you can't remember your password? Do you just >re-install? That might be OK if you never do any actual work, but what >about when that password is required for places where people do need >work? What happens when the sysadmin gets hit by a car? What happens >when the sysadmin can't remember the password? Someone with physical >acccess to the machine uses one of four methods to become root and >changes the root password. (or some with a nice exploit kit gains access >and elevates their privileges, in a happy land were unicorns romp in >chocolate meadows) > >If you lose your door key do you build a new house? Do you think if I >tell you how to get into your house without a key I'll be encouraging >burglars? > > >> >> -hv >> >> > > >Kind regards > >-- >Iceweasel/Firefox/Chrome/Chromium/Iceape/IE extensions for finding >answers to questions about Debian:- >https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/Scott_Ferguson/debian/ > > >-- >To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-laptop-requ...@lists.debian.org >with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org >Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4f7ae360.5090...@gmail.com > -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-laptop-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/1333463289.1482.bpmail_low_noncarr...@web120702.mail.ne1.yahoo.com