development

resetting passwords

• if you're not logged in (and the disk isn't encrypted)
  
  • boot into grub, hit e to edit the grub config for only this boot
    • in the line that starts with 'linux' change ro to rw and add init=/bin/sh at the end of that line
  • ctrl + x to exit, then boot normally
  • reset your password with passwd
    • you might also have to run mount -o remount,rw / to make the filesystem writable. this command remounts / (root filesystem) in place
  • or, you can create a new user without a password by running vi /etc/shadow and adding a line like alex::18159:::::: (username is alex, no password)
  • run sync to flush changes
  • reboot

  other options