I actually forgot my password. Can you help? [SOLVED]

[Member r_chase]

Hi…I’m planning on upgrading to antiX-21 but first I need to update my current antiX-19 (SysVinit edition btw) install. However, I need help recovering and/or reseting my password because I actually forgot my password to it. Do you have any steps to do so?

Best regards,
Chase

• This topic was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by r_chase. Reason: Problem solved

[Member Xecure]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Boot antiX live from CD/USB, from the menus launch Chroot Rescue Scan, select your antiX 19 install, and you will chroot into it. Then run
passwd <user-name>
where you replace <user-name> with the username you want to change its password. Change the password.
Exit chroot with Control+D

Then reboot back yo your installed system and test if the password change worked.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by Xecure.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member r_chase]

Helpful

Up

0

::

There really is no other way, is there? Alright, I’ll try it.

[Member seaken64]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Uhh, let me guess!
password?
12345678?
open_sesame?

Okay, just kidding. I couldn’t resist.

I forgot a password once and I ended up figuring it out by laying it out on paper using my known passwords I have used. But if you don’t usually choose your passwords and keep to a theme (which is not very secure BTW) then you will probably have to start over from scratch. If your data is not encrypted you can probably save your documents out to a removable drive and then re-install.

Unless someone knows how to work around the password. Which would seem to be against the very idea of a password.

Seaken64

[Member Xecure]

Helpful

Up

0

::

If you know your root password, you can do the same in terminal with your root account.
Run in terminal
su
enter your root password, and then use the
passwd <user-name>
I explained above.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member r_chase]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Okay, I’m gonna try the chroot rescue scan thing. Quick question though: where do I look in the menus for the chroot rescue scan?

Also, there’s two partitions…do I have to mount one of them with chroot or something?

Thanks.

[Member r_chase]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Never mind. The chroot worked. Managed to change my password. Now, I have to play the ol’ waiting game for updates and stuff. Thanks.

Anyway, when I do upgrade to Bullseye, I’ll use a new live USB and go from there. Again, thanks.

[Member seaken64]

Helpful

Up

0

::

So, if I am understanding this correctly it IS possible to work around a forgotten password? Why is this possible? What use is a password then?

Seaken64

[Member Xecure]

Helpful

Up

0

::

On a running system, you need the proper permissions to change a password, so you already need to know at least the root password to change any user password. Except if you are the administrator, random people will not be able to do this.

If someone has physical access to your computer, and your drive is NOT encrypted, anyone can have access to your files, and can also change your password. That is why nowadays everyone wants to encrypt their installation. So it matters not if you have set a password. The stranger who has taken your computer doesn’t even need to boot into your system to access your files if the drive isn’t encrypted, so they won’t care about changing your password (they don’t need it).

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by Xecure.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member seaken64]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Ok, thank you. That’s good information to know. Up till now I have not used encryption. I will start learning how to use it.

Seaken64

[Member stevesr0]

Helpful

Up

0

::

@seaken64,

(Apologies for the following obvious comments.)

The downside of encryptiion is if you forget the password, you won’t be able to regain access to the drive or the files.

Makes backups (and password management critical.

(Separate but related is the question of nonpassword methods of protecting information on personal computers; but all strong protections implicitly require adequate backup routines.)

stevesr0

[Member olsztyn]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Xecure wrote:

That is why nowadays everyone wants to encrypt their installation. So it matters not if you have set a password. The stranger who has taken your computer doesn’t even need to boot into your system to access your files if the drive isn’t encrypted, so they won’t care about changing your password (they don’t need it).

I have been running antiX exclusively as Live/Frugal/Live-SATA-Internal. Most USB Live instances were encrypted, although with no particular need to protect anything sensitive.
Question(s);
– Does encryption of Live USB impact performance in any degree? I have not noticed any but at least theoretically it is expected I think…
– From my understanding Frugal installs cannot be encrypted. Is anything changed in that respect?
– Considering the entire Live system is contained in one compact file linuxfs, can such Live USB stick be considered considered reasonably secure by nature or by ‘security by obscurity’? For a random loss, not for a hacker, of course, who would know what to do with it…

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by olsztyn.

Live antiX Boot Options (Previously posted by Xecure):
https://antixlinuxfan.miraheze.org/wiki/Table_of_antiX_Boot_Parameters

[Member r_chase]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Hey guys. Sorry to interupt, but I want to install antiX-21 without affecting the home partition on my ThinkPad. I have an antiX-21 live USB ready btw. Thanks.

[Member ModdIt]

Helpful

Up

0

::

seaken64 wrote:
So, if I am understanding this correctly it IS possible to work around a forgotten password? Why is this possible? What use is a password then?

It keeps casual users, occupied for a few minutes getting in to parents laptop or PC… Live, unless encryption is used will get to and copy data
very quickly.

Not sure about win 11 yet but it is probably just as easy to get in to, actually take over as 7 and 10, dad cussing that he has not forgotten
the password but is locked out of his device. Based on actual experience: Ask the kids who visited a couple of days ago what they set.
Caused some amazement when the grey haired grandad opened the device, checked logs and said so friends the password was changed during the time you
visited, lets look at cache and browser history as well as logfiles. Er..Red faces. Fun day.

Still pretty easy to reset a password offline on win 11. Needs a boot media.
1. Move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe c:\
2. Copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

Step 6: Remove the Windows installation disk, live usb or Tool USB
and then reboot the computer: type “wpeutil reboot” and then press Enter key.
Set a new password.

If you want to keep anything important reasonably secure you can keep it on a detachable drive and lock or hide it away. If you hide it in the house
garage or outhouse remember a skilled searcher will probably have it in a couple of minutes.

Encryption will keep non agency attackers quiet, agencys, or determined persons who can catch you or worse your wife or kids, not for very long.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by ModdIt.

[Author]

Posts