What do you mean by "without messing up the current "load"."? All the ways I
know to do this involve a reboot. I can't tell you how to get access to a
running host that you don't have a password for (and wouldn't if I could,
since that really would be a tutorial on how to break into someone else's
machine).
There are several methods, none of which (except the very last) is
guaranteed to work. All of these access modes can be blocked by passwords.
All, of course, require physical access to the host.
1. Reboot. At the LILO prompt, type "linux single".
2. Reboot. At the LILO prompt, type "linux init=/bin/sh"
3. The name of the linux boot may not be "linux". So if 1 and 2 don't work
(not because they ask you for passwords - then you're blocked) try pressing
SHIFT or TAB, right after the LILO prompt appears, to get a list of boot
choices. Try the first listed one, using the syntax of 1 and 2.
4. Reboot using a rescue disk from a Linux distribution. This will work only
if the boot sequence is A:,C: in the BIOS; if it isn't, go to step 5.
5. Reboot and go into the BIOS (probably by pressing DEL during the memory
test, though this varies by BIOS). Change the boot sequence from whatever it
is (probably C:,A:) to A:,C:, then retry method 4.
6. If you found the BIOS password protected in step 5, you have to
reinitialize CMOS. There may be a set of pins on the motherboard that you
can short to do this, though if you don't have a manual for the motherboard,
it may be tricky to find. (You could go to www.motherboards.com to try to
get this info.) Worst case -- remove the battery and leave the machine
unplugged for awhile, until whatever residual charge is sitting around
dissipates and the BIOS reverts to factory defaults. Then reinstall the
battery, power up, reset the BIOS to usable values (you'll need to restore
hard disk parameters at the least), and follow step 4.
These are all the methods I know of for getting access to a Linux system
that you have physical access to.
At 07:28 AM 11/4/99 -0000, Cole Mark A SSgt JTF-SWA/J6 wrote:
>I am kinda new to linux and unix in general. I inherited a linux box
>without anyone knowing the root password or any accounts to log onto the box
>with. I have no idea what they were using it for (ok i lied...i think
>mostly DNS). Is there any way to get on and get/change the root password
>without messing up the current "load". I have no idea what flavor of linux
>is on it either. Thanks for any help/suggestions any may have!!
>
>Mark Cole
>
>
------------------------------------"Never tell me the odds!"---
Ray Olszewski -- Han Solo
Palo Alto, CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
----------------------------------------------------------------
