# Suddenly forgot root password

## dmitchell

So I have used the same root password for years and have relied on my fingers to "remember" it. That is to say that I cannot recite the password at will but have always been able to type it. Until today. Today I awoke unable to type the password. What the fuck?

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## Sadako

 :Laughing:   :Laughing:   :Laughing: 

edit: okay, to be helpful, either boot a livecd and chroot in, or boot to single user mode (just append "single" to the kernel boot parameters in your boot loader), and then passwd to something you can actually remember.

I wouldn't even wish this on a libertarian.

 :Razz: 

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## richk449

Your body knows what to do, you just need to relax.  Drink a beer, and try again.  If that doesn't work, repeat the previous procedure, until it does (or you pass out).

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## bunder

Moved from Off the Wall to Networking & Security.

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## yabbadabbadont

Can't you just read it off of the sticky note on the side of your monitor?

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## padoor

leave it today

tomorrow it will come back to your fingers

there has to be a file in /etc which remembers it  :Sad: 

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## Sadako

 *padoor wrote:*   

> there has to be a file in /etc which remembers it 

 Well, not directly, but johntheripper may actually be able to decrypt the password hash in /etc/shadow if you really want to recover the password.

Of course, that's assuming you haven't changed it already...

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## Clad in Sky

You can delete it from the shadow file and then make a new one.

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## yabbadabbadont

 *Clad in Sky wrote:*   

> You can delete it from the shadow file and then make a new one.

 

Not without being root...  He would have to chroot into the system, or otherwise mount his root partition while booted on other media.  In which case, he might as well follow Hopeless' first suggestion.  Chroot into the system and run passwd to change it.

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## pappy_mcfae

I'm with the chorus telling you to be mellow, smoke a fatty, and let your muscle memory, and your fingers do the walking. Unless you absolutely need back in, that is.   :Very Happy: 

Blessed be!

Pappy

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## F_

Consider this a blessing in disguise. 

The real problem here is that you've used the same root password for years.

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## padoor

most people would be using the same passwd for root and user if your machine is used by you only.

i keep the same.

capslock on?

fingers usually dont forget but some hesitations can come up like forgetting the spelling if daily used words.

some times even names of our close friends off hand we may not be able to write  :Very Happy: 

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