password for root <SOLVED>

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orvas

password for root <SOLVED>

Post by orvas »

Hi.
What is password for root?
I have just installed Cinnamon.
I succeed to install couple of programs with my normal password but not anymore.
I succeed to edit Users and Groups with my normal password but not anymore.
users_groups.png
install_program.png
system_info.png
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majpooper
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Re: password for root

Post by majpooper »

Unless you changed it - it is the same as the password you made for first user during the install process
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karlchen
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Re: password for root

Post by karlchen »

majpooper wrote:Unless you changed it - it is the same as the password you made for first user during the install process
This statement applies to Linux Mint up to and including version 18.1.

Starting with Linux Mint 18.2, Linux Mint follows the Ubuntu approach:
+ root has got no password, which prevents root from logging in directly
+ you can only gain root privileges by using sudo / gksudo / kdesudo as appropriate
Admittedly, you can revert to the old situation by assigning a password to user root.
What's New in Mint 18.2 - System improvements wrote:The root account is now locked by default. You can use sudo with your own password to become root with "sudo -i".
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orvas

Re: password for root

Post by orvas »

I have not changed my password that I made during installation. I'm using that password in login and it works.
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karlchen
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Re: password for root

Post by karlchen »

Hi, orvas.

Open a terminal window, please. Execute the commandline

Code: Select all

sudo passwd root
Specify a password for user root.
You may give the same password to root which you use for your own account. - But you do not have to.

Once you have assigned a password to user root, try "Users & Groups" again.

HTH,
Karl
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orvas

Re: password for root

Post by orvas »

I do not know how to use sudo / gksudo / kdesudo. Should I type some sudo command in root-directory?
orvas

Re: password for root

Post by orvas »

Thank you karlchen.

sudo passwd root-command does not work:
Sorry, user xx is not allowed to execute '/usr/bin/passwd root' as root on xxx-Lenovo.
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Re: password for root

Post by karlchen »

Hello, orvas.

You open a terminal window.
The current working directory, when you execute the commandline which I had already given in previous post does not matter.
You enter the commandline

Code: Select all

sudo passwd root
exactly as it has been typed here.
sudo will prompt you to enter your own password.
While you type it there will be no visual feedback. So type the password and press the enter key.
Provided you have typed it correctly sudo will execute the rest of the commandline, passwd root, with root privileges.
passwd root tells the command passwd to assign a new password to user root.
You will have to type it and press enter.
You will have to type it again and press enter.

HTH,
Karl
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orvas

Re: password for root

Post by orvas »

passwrd_root.png
I have tried couple of time, my password should be correct, I can login with it.
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Re: password for root

Post by karlchen »

Hello, orvas.
orvas wrote:Thank you karlchen.
sudo passwd root-command does not work:
Sorry, user xx is not allowed to execute '/usr/bin/passwd root' as root on xxx-Lenovo.
Oops, you have managed to drop your own user account from the user group "sudo".

In this case, you will not be able to use sudo (for terminal commands) and gksudo (for graphical applications).

You will have to boot your Linux Mint in recovery mode.
This will permit you to login as user root.
At the command prompt you will have to execute the commandline

Code: Select all

adduser jari sudo
Note: this assumes that on your Mint system, your login name is jari. If it is not jari, replace jari by your username.

Once you have added yourself back to the user group sudo, reboot your Mint and start it up normally.

Now try "Users & Groups" again e.g. But do not kick yourself out of the user group sudo again. :wink:

Provided everything is back to normal, then your issue has been solved.

HTH,
Karl
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orvas

Re: password for root

Post by orvas »

I admid, I have managed to drop my user account from the user group "sudo".

How can I boot Linux Mint in recovery mode?
I have safe boot password.
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Re: password for root

Post by karlchen »

Hello, orvas.

Power on the machine.
Hold down the <shift> key till you see the Grub boot menu.
The first item in the list will start your Linux normally.
You do not want this at this point in time.
So move down the cursor 1 line, which reads "Advanced options for Linux Mint 18.3". Select this line. Press enter.

In the next list you will have to go down 3 lines and select it. The line which reads
Linux Mint 18.3 ... (recovery mode)
The important thing is the "recovery mode)" at the end.
Select this line and press enter.

After a while you will see a coloured Recovery Menu.
Move down the cursor till it is on the "root - Root Shell" line. Press enter.

In case you are asked for root's password, try to simply press enter. Means giving no password. On Mint 18.3 this should work on a default installation.

You should see a # and right of the hash character a blinking cursor.

Type the following commandline. Yes you have to type, no way of copying and pasting anything here.
mount -o remount,rw /
Type this command exactly as it as been typed here.
(It re-mounts the root filesystem in read-write mode.)

Now the commandline to add yourself back to the user group sudo.
adduser jari sudo
Type this command exactly as it as been typed here.
One exception: if your Mint username is not jari, then replace jari by your username in the commandline above.

Once this has been done, you reboot your machine by typing the command reboot

Good luck,
Karl
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orvas

Re: password for root

Post by orvas »

Thank you, I'll try this.
orvas

Re: password for root

Post by orvas »

<Shift> key does not work.
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Re: password for root

Post by karlchen »

Hi, orvas.

Does your machine use UEFI boot?
I ask, because in order to get the steps I had done what I wrote down on my Acer Aspire One netbook. It uses Bios boot.
Getting into the Grub menu on an UEFI boot machine might work differently. Don't know. No UEFI boot here still.

Moreover. Current machines are really fast when starting up. So you must make sure that you press the <Shift> key and keep it pressed, right after you switched on the machine. Else it may already have passed the brief timespan where you can enter the Grub menu and may be already loading the default Grub menu item (Linux Mint 18.3 - in normal mode)

So, is it Bios boot or UEFI boot? - Hint: if the machine came with Windows 8.1 or 10 pre-installed, then chances are extremely high that it is UEFI boot. In this case my <shift> key step may not apply.

Regards,
Karl
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orvas

Re: password for root

Post by orvas »

My computer is brand new and Linux Mint is downloaded couple days ago. USB boot from ISO file. In this computer there was Windows 10. I have overwrite it with Linux. Only Linux Mint in my computer. If I remember correct it was F10 or F12 when I booted from USB.
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Re: password for root

Post by karlchen »

Hi, orvas.

Then your machine will very very likely use (U)EFI boot. About which I have no practical knowledge.
I am a bit loathe to try and explain what I have only read in more recent articles (2016/2017) on "getting into the Grub menu on (U)EFI boot systems". Because if I give an incorrect piece of advice on something which I may have understood incompletely, the risk is that following my advice may cause problems on your machine.
So I suggest to practice some patience exercise and wait a bit. I would be amazed if no-one here in the forums had (U)EFI boot and knew how to enter the Grub menu there.

Best regards,
Karl
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orvas

Re: password for root

Post by orvas »

Shift, Esc, F10 does not work.
F12: there is boot menu but not recovery option. Ubuntu and EFI only.
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Re: password for root

Post by Pippin »

I think you should try the "esc" button.
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orvas

Re: password for root

Post by orvas »

Thank you karlchen. Now I know anyway what's wrong in my computer. I'm sure somebody knows how to boot my computer in recovery mode.
Ecs does not work.
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