I can't log in, dropped something on keyboard and username seems to have gotten scrambled

[Deadtroopers]

I dropped something on the keyboard at Grub on boot. Now I get the GUI login prompt but it doesn't recognise the password. Dropping to the command line I find the username appears to be scrambled; instead of deadtroopers it now reads deadtroopers @deadtroopers:"$ and, obviously, my password won't work. Any ideas?

 

[Alexzee]

What was it exactly that you dropped on your keyboard?

Is this a laptop or desktop keyboard?

The keys could be stuck--

4 laptop keyboard failure warning signs to look out for

safemode.com.au

This video may help you:-

 

[osprey]

I dropped something on the keyboard at Grub on boot. Now I get the GUI login prompt but it doesn't recognise the password. Dropping to the command line I find the username appears to be scrambled; instead of deadtroopers it now reads deadtroopers @deadtroopers:"$ and, obviously, my password won't work. Any ideas?

If it's not the keys, as Alexee suggests, then you can change the password from a root shell by running:

passwd <username>

where <username> is the name of the user whose password you wish to change, without the brackets. You won't need the username's password to run this successfully. Then you can log in, but sometimes a reboot helps after the password change before a new login.

 

[Deadtroopers]

If it's not the keys, as Alexee suggests, then you can change the password from a root shell by running:

passwd <username>

where <username> is the name of the user whose password you wish to change, without the brackets. You won't need the username's password to run this successfully. Then you can log in, but sometimes a reboot helps after the password change before a new login.

Thanks, the problem is the scrambled user name; not the password per se. I've no idea what the random key presses have done and that is what I need to put right.

 

[Deadtroopers]

What was it exactly that you dropped on your keyboard?

Is this a laptop or desktop keyboard?

The keys could be stuck--

4 laptop keyboard failure warning signs to look out for

safemode.com.au

This video may help you:-

Thanks, it isn't stuck keys but I'll file the video for future reference. Always useful to know!

 

[osprey]

Deadtroopers wrote:

the problem is the scrambled user name

With the original username can you login on a console terminal?

To get to a console terminal one holds down cntl+alt and presses one of the function keys, usually F2 to F6. Then a prompt appears to login. If you can login in to such a terminal with your original username and password, then it's still valid and it would seem that it's just the GUI login process that's the issue.

To return to the GUI from the console terminal one usually presses alt+F1 or alt+F7, but this can vary so you can try them all to see which one works. (cntl+alt+F1 etc. should also get you back to the GUI).

 

[KGIII]

They can also use a live instance to navigate to /home/ where they can retrieve their username.

However, if this is a new installation, it's 5 to 20 minutes to just start over.

 

[Deadtroopers]

Deadtroopers wrote:


With the original username can you login on a console terminal?

To get to a console terminal one holds down cntl+alt and presses one of the function keys, usually F2 to F6. Then a prompt appears to login. If you can login in to such a terminal with your original username and password, then it's still valid and it would seem that it's just the GUI login process that's the issue.

To return to the GUI from the console terminal one usually presses alt+F1 or alt+F7, but this can vary so you can try them all to see which one works. (cntl+alt+F1 etc. should also get you back to the GUI).

ctrl+alt+F* doesn't work. I tried from AdvancedOpttions at Grub too, that's how I know the name is scrambled, I'm multi booting. I can navigate to the problem install if that helps.

 

[Alexzee]

Has changing the password helped?

 

[Condobloke]

Laptop or desktop?

 

[Deadtroopers]

Has changing the password helped?

If I could change the password even if it didn't help it would be progress of a sort! My username has been corrupted somehow.

 

[Deadtroopers]

Laptop or desktop?

It is a desktop, but that isn't relevant. My username is scrambled.

 

[Condobloke]

So you have a stand alone keyboard.

How sure are you that object hitting the keyboard didn't turn sticky keys on.....and produce the abnormality you are now experiencing ?

 

[Alexzee]

If I could change the password even if it didn't help it would be progress of a sort! My username has been corrupted somehow.

What happens when you hold down CTRL + Alt + F1 or F2?
Can you get the commandline?

What Linux distribution are you running?

 

[osprey]

If I could change the password even if it didn't help it would be progress of a sort! My username has been corrupted somehow.

Since you can't get to a console through alt+cntl+F#, you can try and boot to a text prompt. When the grub menu comes, hit e, navigate down to the linux line with the arrow keys, add a 3 after a space and hit cntl+x to boot. That should take you to a text prompt where hopefully you can log in with your original username. If your original name login fails, try to login as root with root's password.

If you can login there, you can become root and change passwords and do all sorts of manipulations to get you back to where you want to be. Once you get into the system you can look around and see what's what.

Alexee ... post #8 says OP can't do cntl+alt+F#.

Edit: what I have described usually works on a machine with a single installation. I can't say how it works on dual boot.

 

[Alexzee]

Since you can't get to a console through alt+cntl+F#, you can try and boot to a text prompt. When the grub menu comes, hit e, navigate down to the linux line with the arrow keys, add a 3 after a space and hit cntl+x to boot. That should take you to a text prompt where hopefully you can log in with your original username. If your original name login fails, try to login as root with root's password.

If you can login there, you can become root and change passwords and do all sorts of manipulations to get you back to where you want to be. Once you get into the system you can look around and see what's what.

Alexee ... post #8 says OP can't do cntl+alt+F#.

Missed that, thanks!

 

[Alexzee]

They can also use a live instance to navigate to /home/ where they can retrieve their username.

However, if this is a new installation, it's 5 to 20 minutes to just start over.

Agreed:-
What I'd like to know is what was it exactly that dropped onto the keyboard and where it landed during Grub.

Condobloke has a good point in post #13.​

 

[Alexzee]

Using a live instance like KGIII said is a good alternative.

This may be helpful as well:

https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/where-are-the-passwords-of-the-users-located-in-linux/

 

[Condobloke]

That landed during grub.....

Do you have Timeshift set up, by any chance ?

 

[f33dm3bits]

Any changes made to the grub menu before boot aren't permanent, you would have to edited your grub configuration to make it permanent. So something else must have happened and before you even rebooted.