Linux login details

[newpersn]

We have a Linux box that used to host our moodle and it was supplied and fitted by a certain web company.

 

They disabled the moodle and support is now finished. (Couldn't justify the 3k a year for support)

 

We now have moodle working via a server 2012 box and all is well.

 

Now back to the hardware that's sat in our server room. I've attached a monitor to see what it was doing and asking for username and password.

 

We have asked said company to see if they will provide the account details but refused. They said will have to flatten the box and rebuild.

 

Anyone know how to reset Linux account info or should I just turn it off and install server 2012 R2?

[Guest WMITTech]

If you can boot in live cd you can do a repair and change the password

[newpersn]

If you can boot in live cd you can do a repair and change the password

 

Silly question time. How would I know what version of Linux it's running?

[FN-GM]

If you can boot in live cd you can do a repair and change the password

 

I wouldn't do this. I would boot into single user mode. What distro of Linux is it?

[jinnantonnixx]

If you have physical access (which you have) then you can easily reset the root password by booting the machine into single-user mode and resetting the root (and any other) passwords.

 

Most systems use GRUB, so find the heading Booting into single user mode from GRUB

 

How to Reset forgotten Root passwords LG #107

[newpersn]

I wouldn't do this. I would boot into single user mode. What distro of Linux is it?

 

I don't know what distro of Linux it's on. Doesn't really tell me.

 

On the login page I get this

 

linux x86_64 3.7.0-xen0+

[CAWJames]

Why did they disable Moodle? Surely Moodle is open source and under that agreement, someone can supply support, but not charge for the software?

[newpersn]

Why did they disable Moodle? Surely Moodle is open source and under that agreement, someone can supply support, but not charge for the software?

 

They wanted £750 once we finished the contract to put moodle back to the open source status.

[CAWJames]

Moodle has a non-opensource mode? That's a new one on me, but then again we have always "rolled our own"

[unixman_again]

There are some paid modules for Moodle but the core is open source. They could lock a customer out by changing the Moodle admin password, but the customer could always change it in the MySql database.

[CAWJames]

Still, its not really on to deny access completely, especially when the install is on-site. That's really quite petty in my view, remove or disable the paid modules by all means, but deny all access! Any bespoke coding should have been covered in the £3k a year bill.

[newpersn]

 

Sat with that screen and a little confused

[CAWJames]

Type single after initramfs and hit F10 to boot

[CAWJames]

Once you are a prompt, type passwd root and set a new password. Reboot without single, use root and the new password to login

[newpersn]

Type single after initramfs and hit F10 to boot

 

tired that... didnt work. Guessing i might be flatting it. Hardware is crap. single Quad cpu with 8GB ram.

[CAWJames]

Hmm, so it let you type single in lower case as a new word, and it did nothing when you pressed F10 to boot, did you try the other listed boot key : ctrl + X? if nothing it must have a different way of getting into single mode, although most use the single command.

 

Try pressing F2 and see if it gives you a command line you can tag single onto and press enter?

[chilbs]

use a live disc to boot the system, mount the discs the run a command to reset the root password or modify the password file.

 

microHOWTO: Reset a forgotten root password using a live distribution