[Unresolved... Will Delete and Re-load] Linux Mint Cinammon Password No Longer Works!

[Ron Frye]

I have been using Oracle's VM Virtual Box to run Linux Mint Cinnamon and Linux Mint Mate from Windows 10 for several months. (I've been very happy with them!) Cinnamon and Mate use the same password. All of a sudden, beginning yesterday, after starting Linux Mint Cinnamon from the virtual box, then supplying my Linux password, it is NOT accepted. I have no idea what happened. Linux Mint Mate accepts the password just fine, as before. What do I do to get Cinnamon to work again? I prefer that version over Mate.

Ronald Frye

[JerryF]

Check the simple stuff first. Caps Lock?

[Ron Frye]

Jerry...

Yes, checking the Caps Lock key is one of the first things I did. I should have mentioned that in my initial posting.

Ronald Frye

[sleeper12]

You can change your password in terminal with passwd, but can't say if that would solve it.

[Ron Frye]

How is one to use the terminal and password command if one cannot log in?

[sleeper12]

Can you do it on Mate? Perhaps then the new password will work on Cinnamon too, but it's only a guess.
If that won't work, maybe this:
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... sword.html

[pbear]

Can you do it on Mate? Perhaps then the new password will work on Cinnamon too, but it's only a guess.

In a word, "no." Each VM runs independently and has no idea what's happening in the other.

OTOH, the link to Pjotr's explanation of how to reset the password is spot on.

[Ron Frye]

Thanks for all the suggestions, but I'm getting nowhere fast.

Referring to the last post...

Pjotr? Who or what is Pjotr?

Grub? What is Grub? I've never heard of that term before.

I cannot get past Step 1 of the instructions in the link mentioned in the last post. As instructed, I've hit ESC once, twice, and numerous times after the BIOS menu goes away. I've even started the ESC process during the BIOS, but to no avail. Windows 10 always starts.

Remember, I'm a relative Newbie to Linux and not an expert in Windows or Linux... just a user. I'm becoming quite frustrated. Is my only hope to delete Linux Mint Cinnamon entirely from my Oracle VM Virtual Box and start over with a re-installation? I'd hate to do that... it'd mean losing months of work.

Ronald Frye

[JerryF]

Thanks for all the suggestions, but I'm getting nowhere fast.

Referring to the last post...

Pjotr? Who or what is Pjotr?

Pjotr is a member of the forums and he also has a website for Linux. The link that sleeper gave you is to Pjotr's website.

https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... sword.html

Grub? What is Grub? I've never heard of that term before.

Grub is short for Grand Unified Bootloader. It is installed with Mint. After starting your computer (or VM), you probably see a menu for selecting Linux Mint and a couple of other options to choose, like Memtest.

I cannot get past Step 1 of the instructions in the link mentioned in the last post. As instructed, I've hit ESC once, twice, and numerous times after the BIOS menu goes away. I've even started the ESC process during the BIOS, but to no avail. Windows 10 always starts.

Instead of the ESC key, try holding down the left Shift key while your VM boots.

[sleeper12]

Yes, try holding down the left Shift key at boot & see if that gets you to Grub. If so, follow the rest of the instructions & you should be good.

[Flemur]

I cannot get past Step 1 of the instructions in the link mentioned in the last post. As instructed, I've hit ESC once, twice, and numerous times after the BIOS menu goes away. I've even started the ESC process during the BIOS, but to no avail. Windows 10 always starts.

Isn't that supposed to happen? And after windows is running you start vbox and apply the Pjotr/website's procedure when you "boot" the linux installation:

I have been using Oracle's VM Virtual Box to run Linux Mint Cinnamon and Linux Mint Mate from Windows 10 for several months.

I'm wondering if you could copy the files which define a user and password, from the Mate install to the Cin install - I dunno what those files might be, though. Same username on both?

[Ron Frye]

To all who tried to help me... thank you, but I'm giving up. Being a "Newbie" I'm just not smart enough or experienced enough to resolve this issue, even with your help, nor do I have the time to continually try your suggestions without success. Therefore, I am going to delete Linux Mint Cinnamon from my Oracle Virtual Machine/Virtual Box setup and re-install a fresh copy. I'll lose everything in my original install, but at least I'll have the pleasure of working with Mint/Cinnamon again.

Thank you all,
Ronald Frye

P.S.: I really don't need a password-based system for my home computer, so I'm going to try to get along without setting up and using a password.

[JerryF]

You can backup your documents onto a USB flash drive before reinstalling your VM

[Moem]

I really don't need a password-based system for my home computer, so I'm going to try to get along without setting up and using a password.

The installation process will not complete without a password. If you feel you don't need one, make it a simple one and write it down.