change user name/password

You can't get into the grub menu? You do that by pressing escape when the "GRUB Loading..." message appears (shortly after power on).

Another possibility is to run the live cd chroot into the root partition and change the password.

More or less like this:

Discover your root partition (like /dev/hda1):

  sudo fdisk -l (l like in list)

Change the apparent disk root directory:

  chroot /dev/hdaX (put your partition name here, may also be /dev/sdaX)

Change the root password:

  passwd

See also: http://debaira.blogspot.com/2007/10/linux-root-password-recoverylivecdrecov.html.

I do not have a cd----It is a pick up---with no information----This is all
very new to me...PC windows user for over 10 years--I have tried to load
another OS from CD drive with no affect....I believe the reason i was given
this system was the complexity and I have to admit this is a very weak area
for me...but I am willing to learn......I have been able to go to grub menu
which slows down---How I call the system to attention if I wish to change
the username and pasword?

On Jan 16, 2008 10:39 AM, Wrwrwr <email address hidden>
wrote:

> Your question #22314 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
>
> Wrwrwr proposed the following answer:
> Another possibility is to run the live cd chroot into the root
> partition and change the password.
>
> More or less like this:
>
> Discover your root partition (like /dev/hda1):
>
> sudo fdisk -l (l like in list)
>
> Change the apparent disk root directory:
>
> chroot /dev/hdaX (put your partition name here, may also be /dev/sdaX)
>
> Change the root password:
>
> passwd
>
> See also: http://debaira.blogspot.com/2007/10/linux-root-password-
> recoverylivecdrecov.html.
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314/+confirm?answer_id=1
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

1. You can download and burn Ubuntu cd for free from: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download. You can even request a cd to be sent to you (it will take a couple of weeks to arrive). System installation is not a completely basic task, but you should cope with it :) Installing an operating system on your own lets you have full control and knowledge of what you have. Let me know if you decide to reinstall, i'll point you to some docs.

2. If you can access the grub menu you should be able to choose recovery mode, select it and press enter. When the system boots up you'll be presented with a dos-like command prompt (a terminal). Type there "passwd <username>" and you should be asked for a new password for the user <username>. If you don't know any existing username try adding a new user:

  useradd --groups admin <username>

Here replace <username> with any login of your choice.

Thank you---I will try that over the next dew days and get back to you...TY
again...Bo

On Jan 16, 2008 1:44 PM, Wrwrwr <email address hidden> wrote:

> Your question #22314 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Wrwrwr proposed the following answer:
> 1. You can download and burn Ubuntu cd for free from:
> http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download. You can even request a cd to
> be sent to you (it will take a couple of weeks to arrive). System
> installation is not a completely basic task, but you should cope with it
> :) Installing an operating system on your own lets you have full control
> and knowledge of what you have. Let me know if you decide to reinstall,
> i'll point you to some docs.
>
> 2. If you can access the grub menu you should be able to choose recovery
> mode, select it and press enter. When the system boots up you'll be
> presented with a dos-like command prompt (a terminal). Type there
> "passwd <username>" and you should be asked for a new password for the
> user <username>. If you don't know any existing username try adding a
> new user:
>
> useradd --groups admin <username>
>
> Here replace <username> with any login of your choice.
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314/+confirm?answer_id=3
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

got into the grub menu----stopped at root txt----tried all you
suggestions---The error was syntax error near unexpected token
'newline' when I attempted many combinations it was met with same
error.......Bo

On Jan 19, 2008 2:18 PM, bomiller1 <email address hidden>
wrote:

> Your question #22314 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> You are still having a problem:
> Thank you---I will try that over the next dew days and get back to
> you...TY
> again...Bo
>
> On Jan 16, 2008 1:44 PM, Wrwrwr <email address hidden>
> wrote:
>
> > Your question #22314 on Ubuntu changed:
> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
> >
> > Status: Open => Answered
> >
> > Wrwrwr proposed the following answer:
> > 1. You can download and burn Ubuntu cd for free from:
> > http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download. You can even request a cd to
> > be sent to you (it will take a couple of weeks to arrive). System
> > installation is not a completely basic task, but you should cope with it
> > :) Installing an operating system on your own lets you have full control
> > and knowledge of what you have. Let me know if you decide to reinstall,
> > i'll point you to some docs.
> >
> > 2. If you can access the grub menu you should be able to choose recovery
> > mode, select it and press enter. When the system boots up you'll be
> > presented with a dos-like command prompt (a terminal). Type there
> > "passwd <username>" and you should be asked for a new password for the
> > user <username>. If you don't know any existing username try adding a
> > new user:
> >
> > useradd --groups admin <username>
> >
> > Here replace <username> with any login of your choice.
> >
> > --
> > If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> > know that it is solved:
> >
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314/+confirm?answer_id=3
> >
> > If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> > following page to enter your feedback:
> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
> >
> > You received this question notification because you are a direct
> > subscriber of the question.
> >
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Sorry, i don't fully understand where do you get this error. On entering grub, while booting or when trying to enter one of the commands? If the system boots what do you exactly see when it stops?

While booting I hit esc-----then a slow march through the boot menu...comes
to rest and it it there is the error occurs syntax error----then upon each
command request I enter I recieved invalid command request......Kevin
On Jan 19, 2008 4:39 PM, Wrwrwr <email address hidden> wrote:

> Your question #22314 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Wrwrwr requested for more information:
> Sorry, i don't fully understand where do you get this error. On entering
> grub, while booting or when trying to enter one of the commands? If the
> system boots what do you exactly see when it stops?
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

In addition when I hit esc during boot----I have two optioins recovery
kernel and another I didn't keep track of----that is when it begins the
march of auto commands

On Jan 21, 2008 9:40 AM, Bo miller <email address hidden> wrote:

> While booting I hit esc-----then a slow march through the boot
> menu...comes to rest and it it there is the error occurs syntax
> error----then upon each command request I enter I recieved invalid command
> request......Kevin
>
> On Jan 19, 2008 4:39 PM, Wrwrwr <email address hidden>
> wrote:
>
> > Your question #22314 on Ubuntu changed:
> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
> >
> > Status: Open => Needs information
> >
> > Wrwrwr requested for more information:
> > Sorry, i don't fully understand where do you get this error. On entering
> > grub, while booting or when trying to enter one of the commands? If the
> > system boots what do you exactly see when it stops?
> >
> > --
> > To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> > this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
> >
> > You received this question notification because you are a direct
> > subscriber of the question.
> >
>
>

After selecting a kernel to boot alot of messages should be printed, hopefully all ending with a OK. But in the end it should stop (may take a minute) and display a command prompt: root@localhost$, or something similar. So, what's the last thing printed (a couple of last lines maybe)?

Seems like the system you got may be broken, are you sure it's in a usable state? If you get to the command prompt, try some simple commands like "ls", "whoami", "uname" (all without quotes), do they work?

Thank you for all your assistance.....I have been able to get in....using
one of the other cammands--I finially got an answer which was not an
error....and from there I was able to get in...now I just have to figure out
why it wo'nt acknowledge the Internet connection....
Thank for all your assistance....Kevin

On Jan 21, 2008 3:53 PM, Wrwrwr <email address hidden> wrote:

> Your question #22314 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Wrwrwr requested for more information:
> After selecting a kernel to boot alot of messages should be printed,
> hopefully all ending with a OK. But in the end it should stop (may take
> a minute) and display a command prompt: root@localhost$, or something
> similar. So, what's the last thing printed (a couple of last lines
> maybe)?
>
> Seems like the system you got may be broken, are you sure it's in a
> usable state? If you get to the command prompt, try some simple commands
> like "ls", "whoami", "uname" (all without quotes), do they work?
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/22314
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Glad I could help. Please make another question about the internet connection if you need assistance, and probably close that one if you deem it solved :)