> I have an old FreeBSD system that I haven't used for a long time and > I have forgotten the passwords. This machine has FreeBSD-4.3 and > FreeBSD-4.7 > on it, and also MS' Windows98 . I tried getting onto that system by > booting with a CD-ROM which started going and gave me the following > messages: > boot from ATAPI CD-ROM > CD Loader 1.2 > Building the boot loader arguments > Relocating the loader and the BTX > The system then did not output for a liitle over 5 minutes and then > typed: > Starting the > and after this I waited for over 5 minutes but the system did not type > anything else. Then I tried booting that CD-ROM on another system where > it booted > successfully and the program on it ( FreesBIE version 2) ran and I could > communicate with it. I suspect a problem with the boot loader on the first > system. > Where can I get a new boot loader for that system? Since I want to > get a modern FreeBSD (version 9.1 or higher), I expect that will include a > new > multi-system loader on it that I can use on the old system if I can load just > that. How can I load just the boot loader? Also, what is the structure of > the > password files (is this on the web with a per system-version note so if it > has been changed over time, I can find those I need) on those systems, and how > can I find and clear out the password for root so I can get in and set its > password and then the other passwords? > Thanks in advance for your help.
You'll have to wait some months for FreeBSD >= 9.1. Current release is 9.0. I believe FreeBSD has a multisystem boot loader, BootEasy/boot0. You can also look to GRUB: http://www.gnu.org/software/grub I believe this is also included in FreeBSD ports collection. If you run Linux, you can install LILO, which is capable of booting FreeBSD. I believe the password files, /etc/master.passwd, are encrypted, so you can't get the password directly from that. You would run the command passwd as root. Tom _______________________________________________ [email protected] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[email protected]"
