Lost root password

use the rescue disk coming along with redhat
at the boot promtp type:

linux single

then mount your linux partition:

mount -t ext2 /dev/hda2  /

and finally run the command

passwd root

and change the root password

Serena77's comment gave me what I needed to change the root password.  Redhat 5.1 did not recognize the '-S' switch at the LILO: prompt.  It did recognize 'single' per Serena77's comment but I didn't need to use the rescue disk.  I also did not have to mount the linux partition.  It was done automatically.  

So all I had to do was enter 'linux single' at the LILO: prompt and enter 'passwd root' at the BASH# prompt.

Thanks Serena77!  ...and thanks Astroman for your good attempt.

I think Serena77 actually deserves the points.  How do I give them to her?

Zeldar...

Woops, you can't now, you gave them to me. I'm surprised the -S switch didn't work though. Maybe it should've been -s. It's definatly one or the other because I've done it before and it worked then!!

It never occoured to me to use the passswd command to update the root password - a bit dim really of me. Essentially, by editing the password file by hand thats what you would be doing.

I had to go through all this because after installing redhat 5, when it set my rootpasswordon install, I couldn't log in with it!

Cheers,

Leon

Zeldar: If you really want to give me some points you can post another question with the title 'points for serena77' or something ;)  Anyway the most important thing is that you solved the problem. Sometimes a simple reply  is a lot better than just points :)

Serena

Astroman:  Perhaps you could do what Serena77 is suggesting and split the points with her?  50/50 or whatever?
Thanks again, Zeldar

I can't, because expert points and spending points are 2 different things.

I have 5 spending points, and about 3000 expert points. The only thing I can think of is registering again as a second person and donating a load of points to serena77..

I wish I could spend expert points because I've got loads(well, a few), and bugger all spending points because I spent them all reading useless PAQ's.

Sorry about the whole thing, but at the end of the day, they are only abstract, and not anything real ;)

Sorry serena(77).