Password mismatch due to hardware change

Shivkamal

I was using Solus 3 Mate few months back then my PC broke down. I just repaired it after a super long time, I had to change my Motherboard and ram, since then after boot it's not accepting my old login password. What to do now?

Justin

You can use the live USB and mount your existing install and change the password using passwd https://getsol.us/articles/troubleshooting/boot-rescue/en/

Shivkamal

Justin thank you 😀

Hitz440

Hi
I've been using Solus Mate for long but in between Corona, I had to switch to my company PC & hence my PC remained unused for so long. Once I've it running again, I'm facing a unique problem. I've been using Solus Mate & Linux Mint & for both (for ease of working) kept a similar password.
Now I'm able to login to Linux Mint but NOT Solus (with the same password) & do not know how to recover. I've even try to reinstall from Live USB. But there also it fails to replace only that partition.

Could someone help me. I do not wish to format everything & begin from scratch
In the above 'Help' article, couldn't locate any 'Change Password' tips
Thanking you in advance

brent

Hitz440 If you were able to use those instructions above to boot from your live usb and mount your old Solus...
then:

$ passwd --help
Usage: passwd [options] [LOGIN]

Options:
-a, --all report password status on all accounts
-d, --delete delete the password for the named account
-e, --expire force expire the password for the named account
-h, --help display this help message and exit
-k, --keep-tokens change password only if expired
-i, --inactive INACTIVE set password inactive after expiration
to INACTIVE
-l, --lock lock the password of the named account
-n, --mindays MIN_DAYS set minimum number of days before password
change to MIN_DAYS
-q, --quiet quiet mode
-r, --repository REPOSITORY change password in REPOSITORY repository
-R, --root CHROOT_DIR directory to chroot into
-S, --status report password status on the named account
-u, --unlock unlock the password of the named account
-w, --warndays WARN_DAYS set expiration warning days to WARN_DAYS
-x, --maxdays MAX_DAYS set maximum number of days before password
change to MAX_DAYS

then:
`$ man passwd`
 SYNOPSIS
       passwd [options] [LOGIN]

DESCRIPTION
       The passwd command changes passwords for user accounts. A normal user may
       only change the password for their own account, while the superuser may
       change the password for any account.  passwd also changes the account or
       associated password validity period.

   Password Changes
       The user is first prompted for their old password, if one is present. This
       password is then encrypted and compared against the stored password. The
       user has only one chance to enter the correct password. The superuser is
       permitted to bypass this step so that forgotten passwords may be changed.

       After the password has been entered, password aging information is checked
       to see if the user is permitted to change the password at this time. If
       not, passwd refuses to change the password and exits.

       The user is then prompted twice for a replacement password. The second
       entry is compared against the first and both are required to match in
       order for the password to be changed.

that brings us to your query: how do I make it work?
If you have the solus os mounted in the live usb, open terminal and type passwd.
According to manual, the program begins to run.
It could be that easy,
or a couple youtube vids or articles might get you specifically there.
May watch a couple and get back to you. If you got solus mounted & chrooted in live usb you are almost there methinks.

Hitz440

Wow, is it that simple.
Let me try it out. Later on will post the update
But thanking you in advance

Hitz440

Hi
I'm able to get to this, but somehow the options are not getting applied.
Am I missing something!!
How do I delete the Old Password & replace it?
Please help

brent

man passwd

For all those --help command you see above, there is probably and argument/option sequence you would use in conjunction with them to execute what you wanted it to.
This actually looks more concise than manual with real commands: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/unix_commands/passwd.htm

I've never used it this cli app before. But it sounds like you are close.

Hitz440

Hi
Brent

Using all permutations throws one common message - Permission denied
I'm dying to see this -
Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:

Is it possible that my PC has been hijacked by some hacker??
Because I followed your hint & have exhausted YouTube options too, right from 2011-2018
No recent options exist there.
Or is there any more security layer built in the OS which prevents changing the password?

brent

Hitz440 I forgot to say some of those commands had sudo; the first two sentences of that tutorial, I believe, mentioned you would need permissions. Sudo or sudo su might do it.
After that, I know nothing about the passwd program except what I read.

stalebrim

brent if you're using passwd as root you ofc need to specify your user, like if your user was brent you would do passwd brent

brent

stalebrim passwd [options] [LOGIN]

I was wondering if it was as plain as that.
So hitz440 would start sudo passwd -d Hitz440 to begin the deletion and re-setting, then.

Hitz440

Hey Guys
Done that, it just lists all the options again
The only instance it does something different is when I try to Chroot - it throws up "Invalid Chroot Path" even though I use the username correctly. I wonder why

One more thing, when using Live Disk - does it also has any password?

Hitz440

Hi
the weird thing is, when I do
passwd -d (username) - it says permission denied

but if I add sudo to it
sudo passwd -d (username) - it says - (username) doesn't exist
What to make of this !!

brent

no privileges = action denied
elevated privileges = 'username doesn't exist'
try anymore commands? -a for or -s for status of the account(s)?

what did that tutorial say? -e should get you to the prompt where it wants the old then the new?
should be a sequence in the tutorial.
I'm feel like an amatuer giving you all these 'maybe try this maybe try that's.' I'm sorry.

EDIT: this thread needs some fresh eyes. This person cannot run a program in live USB to change the password on his installed Solus. Are we going about this task the right way?

Axios

Did you try this? Chroot into it using a live install disk and then run sudo passwd <username>. Enter in the new password, which can just be blank. Get rid of the -d

Hitz440

Hey guys
Sincere thanks for your help & time
Unfortunately this did not work out, instead I "Clean installed' from the scratch
means - Backed-up, Formatted, Installed Linux Mint with proper partition making & then installing Solus

Turns out, even then there's some compatibility issue between them (Linux Mint 20 & Solus 4.1)
So after installing Solus again had to reconfigure with LiveMint & voila !!!
Both the system are up & running - I just can't ditch either one
I'm in love with Solus & my daughter adores Mint - so thank you guys
Hope to keep cruising