Ubuntu
yelp package

I haven't authorized any password or i don't remember my user password

Asked by CharlieR

I am trying to install updates. The system is asking me for a password. I am not aware that I have set or authorized any password whatsoever. I try to avoid passwords. I am the only user of this computer. I quit Windows because I didn't want my operating system telling me what to do. Now, Ubuntu is demanding a password from me, the sole user, before it will do what I want it to do. If I wanted a password, I would set one up. I haven't. I either need a way to turn the password function off, or reset the operating system to zero so I can set one up.

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Ubuntu yelp Edit question
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Solved by:
marcobra (Marco Braida)
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Revision history for this message
Delan Azabani (azabani) said : 		#1

You have set a password (you must) when you installed Ubuntu. This password to gain access is a security feature. Without it, viruses will silently elevate themselves and muck up your computer.

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pablitofuerte (pablitofuerte) said : 		#2

You have been asked for user & password when intall process, for sure. Have a look to the link:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=Install9WhoAreYou.png

This is your current user, and the password needed for administrative tasks

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Best marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#3

I don't remember user and password what i can do

You can do this: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/resetpassword

or

To discover your user and restore (change) the password you can:

Start the pc the when you see the GRUB row...

Press ESC.

Press "e" for edit.

Highlight the line that begins kernel ………, and press "e"

Go to the very end of the line, add rw init=/bin/bash

press enter, then press "b" to boot your system.

Your system will boot up to a passwordless root shell.

Type in grep -i 1000 /etc/passwd

The system must show a row with your user name at the start of the row
for example:
danilo:x:1000:1000:ubuntu,,,:/home/danilo:/bin/bash

Here my user is danilo

Then to change your user password type in:

passwd username

or

passwd -d username

change username with your real user

Set your password.

Type in:

reboot

or

reboot -f

Hope this helps

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CharlieR (jsiarlys) said : 		#4

Thanks marcobra (Marco Braida), that solved my question.

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CharlieR (jsiarlys) said : 		#5

Psychocats seems to have worked. I had to try it three times, and everything looked just a little different than described, but now I can download and install. This raises an interesting question: if it is so easy to change the password, does the password really offer much protection? It won't be a problem, because nobody else uses this computer, but it is still an interesting question.