Unix Tip: NULL ROOT PASSWD WITHOUT VI

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UNIX HOT TIP

Unix Tip 3520 - September 28, 2012

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NULL ROOT PASSWD WITHOUT VI

As admins We never forget the root password,
RIGHT?

Although sometimes we do inherit machines in
which we don't know the root password.

Here is a way to null the root password from
the password file.

It comes a time in every admins life that we
will have to go into mini-root and change the
password file without the use of vi.

The following example shows how to achieve this
on the /etc/shadow file, but the same basic
commands can be achieved on the /etc/passwd file
for those platforms that don't support shadow
passwords.

Use "ed" - and the 13 dots method
---------------------------------
# cp /etc/shadow /etc/shadow.bak
# ed /etc/shadow
1p
s/:.............:/::/
1p
w
q



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