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Impossible to Access my Ubuntu Profile

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  • Lost Password
  • Ubuntu
Last response: in Linux/Free BSD
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January 13, 2014 9:54:17 PM

So a while back, I installed ubuntu on a spare hard drive. I made a profile and everything, but I have not used it in a while. However, I decided today that I wanted to officially migrate to Linux. If only it were that easy. I thought I could just log in, but when that did not work, it just created more problems. I had written down the password and even kept it in the case with the cd I used to install Ubuntu, but for some reason I just could not log on.

So I looked online to find out how to change my profile password. The only problem with that was that the solutions that I found required me to go into grub, and it is impossible to do anything in grub because of the absurdly short timeout.

So I tried to find out how to change the timeout period for grub and rand into yet another problem because all of those solutions required sudo privileges and I currently have NO access to any profile (there is only one btw) except the guest session.

I find it impossible to comprehend that I am the only person to have encountered anything like this. Maybe there is some kind of password recovery program or something, but I don't know of any. I also still have the install disk if that really makes a difference.

If anyone out there has a solution I would greatly appreciate it.

More about : impossible access ubuntu profile

January 13, 2014 9:59:24 PM

A Ubuntu Live CD may be your best friend in this situation. You should be able to install it on a USB stick and edit the GRUB files.

However; cracking the Linux password may be difficult.
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January 13, 2014 10:03:52 PM

Alec Mowat said:
A Ubuntu Live CD may be your best friend in this situation. You should be able to install it on a USB stick and edit the GRUB files.

However; cracking the Linux password may be difficult.


Forgive my ignorance, but what is the difference between an Ubuntu live CD and an install CD, or are they the same thing?
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January 13, 2014 10:09:36 PM

I think they are the same thing now. The Live CD allows you to load a fully functional copy of Ubuntu as if it was installed. You can save files, browse the web and basically try the whole thing out. It's very handy for bad boot sectors or copying files from broken Windows installations. You can install from the Live CD.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD

Unless there is anything important on the Linux install, I'd format and go to 13.10 for Ubuntu. It's one of the better releases so far. Steam works well too.
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January 13, 2014 10:14:24 PM

Alec Mowat said:
I think they are the same thing now. The Live CD allows you to load a fully functional copy of Ubuntu as if it was installed. You can save files, browse the web and basically try the whole thing out. It's very handy for bad boot sectors or copying files from broken Windows installations. You can install from the Live CD.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD

Unless there is anything important on the Linux install, I'd format and go to 13.10 for Ubuntu. It's one of the better releases so far. Steam works well too.


So does editing grub files with the CD work the same way as using the terminal? By that I mean are the commands the same?
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January 13, 2014 10:20:49 PM

I generally use the Windows loader, as Win8 doesn't play well with Ubuntu I find.

This should be a step in the right direction; http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1600542

When you boot on the live CD, it just looks like Ubuntu. There's no difference other than the load times, and some files are locked.
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January 13, 2014 11:48:29 PM

Alec Mowat said:
I generally use the Windows loader, as Win8 doesn't play well with Ubuntu I find.

This should be a step in the right direction; http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1600542

When you boot on the live CD, it just looks like Ubuntu. There's no difference other than the load times, and some files are locked.


what should I do with the actual live disk though? Because none of the options look like they could have the solution I am looking for.
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January 14, 2014 7:54:40 AM

You'll have to search how to unlock an ubuntu password.
The live CD will give you a linux OS you can edit the files under. Windows can't see the partition
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January 14, 2014 8:25:09 AM

Boot the livecd or boot into recovery mode from the boot menu. You can get grub by holding shift after power on.

  1. sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
  2. chroot /mnt
  3. passwd ellusivegman

You will then be asked for a new password.
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January 14, 2014 10:25:02 AM

skittle said:
Boot the livecd or boot into recovery mode from the boot menu. You can get grub by holding shift after power on.

  1. sudo -i
  2. passwd ellusivegman

You will then be asked for a new password.


Shift does not do anything. I think you have to press escape now.
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January 14, 2014 10:34:52 AM

Alec Mowat said:
You'll have to search how to unlock an ubuntu password.
The live CD will give you a linux OS you can edit the files under. Windows can't see the partition


If you install something while in the live CD linux, where are the files stored? I am still confused about how changing grub configuration with the live CD will carry over to the other linux installation in another boot device.
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January 14, 2014 10:59:01 AM

When in the livecd environment nothing will be saved unless you explicitly tell it to. ie you must mount your ubuntu partition as read/write to edit files.

With the livecd you can mount your ubuntu partition and edit the files stored on the drive.

more info here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCdRecovery
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January 14, 2014 1:49:08 PM

skittle said:
When in the livecd environment nothing will be saved unless you explicitly tell it to. ie you must mount your ubuntu partition as read/write to edit files.

With the livecd you can mount your ubuntu partition and edit the files stored on the drive.

more info here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCdRecovery


When I got to the passwd command, it asked me for my current password. Also, when I type in sudo chroot /mnt, I get an error message saying, "failed to run command `/bin/bash': No such file or directory"
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January 14, 2014 4:37:42 PM

then you have done something wrong. It ask for current password because you have not 'chroot' into your ubuntu install. IE you do not have root privilege yet.

Are you booting from livecd?

Mount the ubuntu partition to a folder with command: where /dev/sdXX is the partition where ubuntu is installed.
sudo mount /dev/sdXX /mnt
sudo chroot /mnt
passwd ellusivegman
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January 14, 2014 5:35:22 PM

skittle said:
then you have done something wrong. It ask for current password because you have not 'chroot' into your ubuntu install. IE you do not have root privilege yet.

Are you booting from livecd?

Mount the ubuntu partition to a folder with command: where /dev/sdXX is the partition where ubuntu is installed.
sudo mount /dev/sdXX /mnt
sudo chroot /mnt
passwd ellusivegman


Maybe I should just try to change the password through recovery mode. Only problem there is I am not sure how to get through to the directory that has the file where you can edit the timeout time through command line. I tried sudo gedit /etc/default/grub, and I got an error message saying "cannot open display".

Also, what is the difference between doing ctrl+alt+f4 versus using the terminal?
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