Debian

I just upgraded Ubuntu now I am locked out of my computer , how do I get through the password and username. I do not know it.

Asked by brianeoneill

I installed Ubuntu about a year ago on a spare machine, which I haven't tried to use until today. It won't accept my username and password combo, leading me to believe that either there is a problem with Ubuntu, or I am simply remembering incorrectly what I had originally entered as my username and password.

I am a total newbie. I don't know much about Linux or Ubuntu. How can a lay person either recover the original username/password or reset it?

Thanks.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Debian Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
Reed Lipman
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Best Reed Lipman (rmlipman) said : 		#1

Try booting into recovery mode. After you get to a shell, enter:

ls /home

Your username should appear in the results. Then, enter:

passwd <username>

and follow the prompts. Note: your password will not appear, not even as ***** as you type it.

Revision history for this message
brianeoneill (brianeoneill) said : 		#2

Thanks, Reed.
Like I said, I'm a total newbie. What do you mean by booting into recovery mode? How would I do that? And what does it mean to "get a shell"?

Thanks again
B

> To: <email address hidden>> From: <email address hidden>> Subject: [Support #3039]: Re: Locked out of Ubuntu--Forgot username/password> Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 02:15:07 +0000> > Your support request #3039 on Ubuntu changed:> https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+ticket/3039> > Status: Open => Answered> > Reed Lipman proposed the following answer:> Try booting into recovery mode. After you get to a shell, enter:> > ls /home> > Your username should appear in the results. Then, enter:> > passwd <username>> > and follow the prompts. Note: your password will not appear, not even as> ***** as you type it.> > _______________________________________________________________________> If this answers your request, please go to the following page to let us> know that it is solved:> https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+ticket/3039/+confirm?answer_id=0> > If you still need support, you can reply to this email or go to the> following page to enter your feedback:> https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+ticket/3039
_________________________________________________________________
Try amazing new 3D maps
http://maps.live.com/?wip=51

Revision history for this message
Frode M. Døving (frode) said : 		#3

Hi.

Recovery Mode:

When you first start your computer, you get to a point when it says something like:
"GRUB loading. please wait… Press Esc to enter the menu…"

Then press Esc.

Now you'll get a menu, with a multiple choices. You navigate with the keyboard arrow keys. Select the one instance with the highest version number, and (Recovery Mode) at the end of the line.

- Frode

Revision history for this message
Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey) said : 		#4

The following page details what to do:-

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LivecdRecovery

You need a Live (Desktop) Ubuntu CD handy to do this. In fact any Live Linux CD will do.

Revision history for this message
brianeoneill (brianeoneill) said : 		#5

User confirmed that the request is solved.

Revision history for this message
brianeoneill (brianeoneill) said : 		#6

Thank you to all who responded so quickly and helpfully. You guys rock!