[SOLVED] System Doesn't Recognize Password

[franky44]

I just upgraded Linux Mint to Debian 9.5. The installation went okay. After the system boots, I am asked for my user name and password. The trouble is, my password isn't recognized. I know this password because it is from the VIN number of a 1967 Ford Torino. The system I'm using is a Dell Studio XPS 9100. It has 9 GB of RAM, a DVD, and a Seagate 2 TB drive. I installed Debian on one partition. I have created the Super User password, and the password for normal user. It just plain won't accept my password.

I hope there is some kind of workaround so I can get back into that system. Right now I'm using my laptop (also a Dell machine) and it is running Debian 9.5. No problems with this machine. The only solution I can come up with on my own, is to re-install the OS. I've already re-installed the OS twice because of this very same problem. Along with that, I can't do a re-boot while trying to log in. I'm not certain that this is a hardware problem. The system runs well when I have been able to get in past logging in. I appreciate any help you can lend me.

[arzgi]

Welcome to the forums!

You can not login at all, not as root or user?

Try terminal, Ctrl-Alt-F2 should give you text mode login, can you login here, as user or root?

Capital and small letters are different in linux.

Is you keyboard ok?

[franky44]

Thank You, and Howdy. I hadn't thought about using the terminal. I can't login as either root or user. It's just being plain old stubborn
I'm also curious about what causes that to happen. I hope I don't need to go poking around the file system folders, in order to find some obscure arcane command. I did that once and bricked a laptop.

The keyboard is in good shape. I am using a logitech wireless keyboard. I tried a wired USB board, but it made no difference.

A couple of Linux distros ago, I found out the hard way about caps and lower case. 'WTH do you mean no such file or directory?'...followed by a stream of cussing that is just now being heard on Pluto.

Thanks again for your advice. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[GarryRicketson]

Postby franky44 » 2018-09-18 06:32

I just upgraded Linux Mint to Debian 9.5

This makes me wonder, exactly what have you done ? It is not clear at all.
Did you install Debian 9.5, as a fresh install ?
Linux Mint is not Debian, and upgrading from Linux Mint to Debian, would not work, you would need to install Debian fresh. What DVD, or CD exactly have you tried installing ?
There some other things that are not making sense to me, here:
Here you say :

I can't login as either root or user.

Yet earlier you say:

The system runs well when I have been able to get in past logging in

So how are you getting past logging in ?
If changing terminal, using ctrl-alt-f2 as suggested does not work, you can boot in single user mode, you will be root when you do that, then you can properly change or set your passwords.
In a search, Using the key words :

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How to boot Debian in single use mode 

, or if need be someone can give the details on that.
To change or set a new password:

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man passwd

Most likely when you set the password during the install, you think you typed in the VIN number correctly, but you didn't, and so now when you use that it is not the same, also, When you set the root password, during the install, did you use the same VIN number or ???? You should have set a root password, and a user password, all though they both can be the same, they should be different.

I have created the Super User password

I am not a super user, and never have used any "supper user" passwords, so I am not sure what you did there, I all ways set a root password, and my user password, when I install, and have never encountered this type of problem, how ever at times I have forgotten my root pass word, booting in single user mode, and resetting it was how I solved that.

[franky44]

Ooopps. Forgive my ambiguity. While writing my post, I was not in a good mood. I was also in a big hurry

"This makes me wonder, exactly what have you done ? It is not clear at all. Did you install Debian 9.5, as a fresh install ?"
I meant to say that I did a fresh install of Debian 9.5. I opted to use one partition for everything.

"Linux Mint is not Debian,...What DVD, or CD exactly have you tried installing ?"
You are quite right, Linux Mint is not Debian. It is however, a forked version of Ubuntu, that was forked from Debian. The set of three DVD's I used to install came from a retailer ShopLinuxOnline.com

"So how are you getting past logging in ? "
I see more fog gathering around my post. What I meant to say is, the problem occurred a few days after the installation. At that point, I couldn't log in. Before hand, I could log in just fine.

"... you can boot in single user mode, you will be root when you do that, then you can properly change or set your passwords. "
I remember reading about booting as a single user, but I forgot 90% of what I read, and I can't remember where I read it.

The Super User comes from the command su. I think it stands for Super User. If I try to use sudo, it says that franky is not on the sudo list. And it's going to report me to myself. I use su to get root access.

Mr. Ricketson; Thank you for your time and advice. I appreciate it, and will follow up on how to boot in single user mode.

[GarryRicketson]

What I meant to say is, the problem occurred a few days after the installation. At that point, I couldn't log in. Before hand, I could log in just fine.

As root , using su ? and as a normal user ?
The fact that at first you could log in, after the fresh install, but a few days later, couldn't, seems strange, something you did changed your passwords, if you are sure you did not do something, then something is very wrong with your system because the passwords normally do not change by their selves.

Any way, if you can not log in as root , then you will have to use single user mode to get in, and then you can reset the passwords.
Some time ago I posted some screen shots, here:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 36#p677505
And also a link with more instructions:
https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic.php?id=3926
========= edited ====
I will post the screen shots here as well :

To see a full size image, just click the image.
Select the line you want to boot with, and type "e", to open the editor.

The arrow keys can be used to move the tab, up in the right corner, on the "s" in setparms. Move it down to where the line with "ro" is .

Here (above), you will see where I changed it to "rw" and added the " init=/bin/bash" to it.
Below, I have booted, and you can see by the # sign, I am in as root.

===========================================
You will use the 'password' command, and set a new password, you can use the same VIN number, you used before if you want, just be carefull and make sure it is typed in correctly.

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root# passwd
Changing password for root
New password:
 

[franky44]

This is making a lot more sense to me.
As for how the password changed, I haven't a clue. I'm mighty glad you answered the call to my dilemma.
It seems that only using su to get root access works. As I said earlier, sudo doesn't work for me. I'll have to tinker with something after reading more about this distro.
Thanks again.

[arochester]

It seems that only using su to get root access works. As I said earlier, sudo doesn't work for me. I'll have to tinker with something after reading more about this distro.

By default, Debian does not use sudo. It can be added if wanted.

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su

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apt-get install sudo

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usermod -a -G sudo <username>

Replace <username> with your username to which you want to grant sudo access.

Now logout & login to get sudo access to those users.

Source - https://linuxpanda.wordpress.com/2016/1 ... n-stretch/

[franky44]

Ah Ha,,, Thanks for letting me know about this. I'll install it today.

[franky44]

It turns out that sudo is already installed. What I needed was usermod -a -G sudo <username> in order for it to function. Thanks again. I appreciate your time and advice.

[franky44]

Solved

[arzgi]

Solved

Great! Could you please edit your first post in the thread, and add [SOLVED] to front of the header. That way it would be noted already when browsing, that thread does not require further actions.

[franky44]

Did and done. All I had to do was figure out our to mark the post as Solved. Every now and then I find a solution that is looking me in the face.