Lost Password, Linux Mint

[oldman82]

ADMINISTRATOR'S NOTE: This thread was forked from an existing thread with similarities, here
https://www.linux.org/threads/lost-password-encrypted-machine-dense-user-me.61945/ - Wizard

i will go check those out as i was just going to post this here;
THE GENIUS DAVID SENT ME THE FOLLOWING.....but first i will tell the problem. One year ago a fellow ripped out windows and gave me Linux MINT CINNIMON in a tower.
its a wonderful machine. i barely use terminal...and do updates as they come in.

THE fellow also put Linux into an old acer tower i had and yesterday i brought it out to give to a friend....NO PASSWORD...HELP??

DAVIDS WORDS; The easiest way is to just use a live USB (or DVD). Then, with the help of 'chroot', you can mount the drive and change the password.

HE also sent me here. i know what a usb cable is...but dont know "live"? so i can plug it in but WHERE? and then when/how do i enter 'chroot' ?

Thank you for reading.

 

[Condobloke]

Not much idea re the chroot bit, ....but......

How to Reset Password in Linux | Step-by-step Guide

Discover step-by-step instructions on how to reset a password in Linux. Navigate the process and regain access to your system efficiently.

gcore.com

There is a section there, (scroll down a bit)

Resetting Linux Password Using Live CD/USB​

 

[wizardfromoz]

@oldman82 welcome to linux.org.

I am moving the last couple of Posts to a Thread of your own, as you are effectively hijacking someone else's thread and helpers will get confused.

Good luck.

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[oldman82]

thanks Chris....i could not find where to write a new post thats why i jumped onto the one that was looking for the same thing as i am. appreciate you moving things in the correct direction.

 

[KGIII]

I am that 'David'. The OP (@oldman82) sent me a message via https://linux-tips.us, which is something I welcome and enjoy.

In this case, as in most cases, I directed him to this forum. It's easier to do things at a forum, especially if the person asking for help is confused by some of the answers. This also gives them a larger number of people who can help them.

In this case, OP has two computers and only has the password for one of them. They would like to change their password. To my mind, the easiest way to do this is via a live environment and the chroot command.

Here are some detailed directions:

Resetting root password in Ubuntu

I need to reset my root password. I logged into my Ubuntu installation after a long time and cannot remember that password. I looked at some instructions out there. However instead of 'Press Enter ...

unix.stackexchange.com

That will set the 'root' password.

Once they've done that, they can also just reset their user's password via the normal command. In fact, they can probably skip the root password, but now is the time to set that if they want it. They're already there.

To then change their user's password, they'd do this:

passwd <user_name>

That will then prompt them to type their new password (twice). When typing the password, nothing will show up on the screen. This is normal behavior and the expected behavior. Your key presses are still registering, but nothing is shown for security reasons.

Anyhow, this forum and my site aren't really affiliated, but I'm active here. That said, I hope to start writing more soon, but time has been iffy. I got burned out. When I do return, it will not be at the volume it once was.