Trouble after upgrade to 2009.1 [solved]

[payasam]

I have upgraded 2009.0 to 2009.1 using the DVD but now have major problems.

 

When attempting any system work such as Add Media or MCC or Configure Computer, I get an "Insufficient rights" message.

 

I cannot do SU, because my root password (which was not changed) is rejected: "incorrect password".

 

I cannot shut down from the main menu: only the "Log Out <user>" option is available.

Edited May 9, 2009 by payasam

[ianw1974]

Just in case, try:

 

sudo passwd root

 

and try and reset it. If not, you can boot from the Mandriva Free CD and choose Rescue mode. Once the partitions are mounted, you can find out where they are mounted:

 

mount

 

perhaps /mnt/sysimage for example. And so, then we can chroot and reset the root password, so:

 

chroot /mnt/sysimage /bin/bash
source /etc/profile
passwd root

 

and then enter the password when prompted. Afterwards, reboot into your system and see if you can get to the root user with su.

[payasam]

It didn't work, Ian. That is, I could not make it work. Typing "mount" gave me:

 

rootfs on / type rootfs (rw)

/proc on /proc type proc (rw)

 

... of which I can make neither hoof nor tail.

[ianw1974]

Mount just tells you what is mounted. If you booted from the Free CD (not One), then it obviously didn't mount automatically. Normally, when you go into rescue mode, there is a question about mounting the partitions that it sees on your disk. You can choose yes or no to this. If you didn't see it, then there was probably no rescue option on whatever CD you used, or, rescue mode wasn't used, or they weren't mounted when prompted.

[payasam]

I booted from the Free DVD, Ian, chose Rescue, and later asked for partitions to be mounted. Typing "mount" gave me more than the two lines I have reproduced. It went through the list of partitions. However, there was nothing in common like the /mnt/sysimage of which you spoke. That is, I could not figure out where the partitions were mounted.

[pmpatrick]

Boot into run level 1, i.e. single user mode. That will take you to a root prompt without the need for a password. To do that hit F3 as soon as you see the mandriva grub selection screen which will bring up the kernel options menu; select Default. You will then see a line across the bottom of the grub menu that starts with:

 

Boot: *************

 

to boot to run level 1 you just type "1" without quotes at the end of that line and hit the Enter key. Sometimes there is so much stuff that you can't see the end of the Boot line but if you just type 1 and hit Enter, it should go. The boot messages will eventually tell you it's going into single user mode and dump you to a root command prompt that looks something like this IIRC:

 

sh#

 

Type in your command to change your root password:

 

# passwd root

 

and change the root password to anything you want and then run:

 

# sync

# reboot

 

The should reset your password for you.

[demonseth17]

if you're using live cd you must mount your root partition...in the /media file try to mount it there...then after you've got your root partition mounted (in this case if you mounted your root partition in that directory)

try as root

chroot passwd /media

 

then it should prompt for new password XD and your problem is gone..

 

but remember this is in case you don't have your root partition mounted or you don't know where it is mounted

 

you can also try to do that with your rescue DVD but I think it will mount automatically your partitions...you just need to find them (if they're not in /mnt....they should be at /media as /media/hd*)

where hd* is the number of your root partition...check them using ls command and looking the files

 

good luck!

Edited May 9, 2009 by demonseth17

[K Bergen]

Boot into run level 1, i.e. single user mode. That will take you to a root prompt without the need for a password. To do that hit F3 as soon as you see the mandriva grub selection screen which will bring up the kernel options menu; select Default. You will then see a line across the bottom of the grub menu that starts with:

 

Boot: *************

 

to boot to run level 1 you just type "1" without quotes at the end of that line and hit the Enter key. Sometimes there is so much stuff that you can't see the end of the Boot line but if you just type 1 and hit Enter, it should go. The boot messages will eventually tell you it's going into single user mode and dump you to a root command prompt that looks something like this IIRC:

 

sh#

 

Type in your command to change your root password:

 

# passwd root

 

and change the root password to anything you want and then run:

 

# sync

# reboot

 

The should reset your password for you.

Grub should have a listing of "failsafe" thats the same as run level one.

 

All else I agree with but lets keep it our little secret. ;)

 

Ken

[payasam]

Did not work, gentlemen. As there is no longer a "failsafe" option, I went the "F3" - "1" route and -- apparently successfully -- re-set the password. Yet I get the "insufficient rights" message, and the password is declared incorrect when typed in after SU.

 

Something strange and disturbing. The system said "Bad password. It is based on a dictionary word." The password I had typed in was preceded by two numerals and was a notably filthy word from an Indian language. Which dictionary does Mandriva mean?

[demonseth17]

Did not work, gentlemen. As there is no longer a "failsafe" option, I went the "F3" - "1" route and -- apparently successfully -- re-set the password. Yet I get the "insufficient rights" message, and the password is declared incorrect when typed in after SU.

 

Something strange and disturbing. The system said "Bad password. It is based on a dictionary word." The password I had typed in was preceded by two numerals and was a notably filthy word from an Indian language. Which dictionary does Mandriva mean?

did you try my option XD

cuz it really works doesn't matter if you use live cd or rescue DVD (I've done that).

[payasam]

Thank you, demonseth17, I shall try your method.

 

I am inclined to think, because the password is apparently accepted but does not show up on booting normally, that there is something wrong with whichever file or sub-system handles the password business or conveys the information to the system.

[demonseth17]

Thank you, demonseth17, I shall try your method...

yep but you should have your root partition mounted and if not...mount it...and then try the command using the mount point of your root partition

(just making everything more clear) XD

Edited May 9, 2009 by demonseth17

[payasam]

To all. There is a file named passwd in /etc. Anything I can do to it?

 

No idea what this means, if it means anything: Login Manager accepted the root password, which is otherwise still described as incorrect.

Edited May 9, 2009 by payasam

[pmpatrick]

If you go to a virtual console by hitting Ctrl-Alt-F1 can you log in as root? After doing that, you can get back to a gui by hitting Ctrl-Alt-F7. Also, post the output of:

 

$ ls -l /etc/passwd

 

and

 

$ ls -l /bin/su

 

If you can login as root from a virtual console but can't su to root, it could be a permission problem with su.

Edited May 9, 2009 by pmpatrick

[payasam]

I could log in as root, pmpatrick. Here is the output you asked for:

 

ls -l /etc/passwd

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1184 2009-05-08 19:44 /etc/passwd

 

ls -l /bin/su

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 38532 2009-03-05 22:32 /bin/su*

 

If there's something to be done, I shall need to be told what that is. I get the feeling that now we are getting somewhere.