Re: No Root password
From: RobH (nospam_at_dev.null)
Date: 10/22/03
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Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 19:02:44 +0000 (UTC)
"EJStark" <member45082@dbforums.com> wrote in message
news:3506523.1066753337@dbforums.com...
>
> My company has a long abandoned RS6000 AIX machine that contains a
> library of drawings that we now need to access. Problem is no one is
> remaining that used the machine. We have access through one user
login,
> but that user login has no write access to the box. I would like to
> find or reset the root password to have access to the box. I have no
> original install CD or disk, and all of my other computers are MS
> Windows based. The "fixes" I've seen and images I've seen all require
> doing or creating them from the Unix machine, which I cannot do
without
> write access.
>
You may be able to gain root access via the service diagnostics if the
system is an old 4.x system.
Assuming you have a system key, turn the lock to service and power cycle
the system, at the "DIAGNOSTIC OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS" prompt press
enter and then the "FUNCTION SELECTION" prompt with four or five
options, type 41 (forty one) and enter and you should be in business.
If you don't have a system key and can't access the system internals you
may have to drill the lock. If the RS6k does not have a system lock and
boots up with network keyboard scsi prompts press the 6 (or F6 key on a
graphical console) when the keyboard prompt appears to get into service
mode.
> Can someone help me create a boot disk from a MS Windows computer or
> give assistance in resetting root password another way?
>
Errr, boot disks. Now you're really making me feel old.
If your system is old enough to support a floppy disk
boot, you'll need twelve or so disks IIRC. Getting hold of a set might
be a bit tricky and even if you could I can't remember if you can hack
the system with them.
If you can't get access via the 41 procedure above you really need
somekind of
bootable medium.
Failing that the other possibility is to extract the hard disk out of
the system and plug the disk into a SCSI adapter on a PC and use a low
level disk editor (such as Norton) to hack the passwd file.
NB: you've really got to know exactly what you are doing for this to
work.
Basically look you look for a pattern similar to:-
root:
password = kskdi/ew35r
or in hex:-
0a 72 6f 6f 74 3a 0a 09 70 61 73 73 77 6f 72 64
\n r o o t : \n \t p a s s w o r d
20 3d 20 39 45 34 31 37 63 46 59 75 58 6a 49 59
= 9 E 4 1 7 c F Y u X j I Y
^
|
change this byte to 0a
and change the first byte (i.e. the first non whitespace character
following the = sign) of the encrypted password to a NL (i.e. 0A in hex)
Put the disk back in your RS6k and power it all backup. Then when you
login as root it won't ask for a password. You are then free to repair
the damage you've just done on /etc/security/passwd file.
Then go down the pub for a stiff drink.
-- RobH DAB: The future's dim, the future's mono.
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