reset root password on sle

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server SLES for POWER
1

Hello,
Trying to boot the system into single user mode to reset the root password but failed:

yaboot starting: loaded at 00040000 00067698 (0/0/00c3da70; sp: 089fffd0)            
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
Welcome to yaboot version r22.8.SuSE                                                 
boot'                                                                                
running with firmware 'IBM,FW860.51 (SV860_165)' on model 'IBM,8247-42L', serial 'IBM
,03213F62A', partition 'SOLMAN-PR'                                                   
boot: [I][B][COLOR="#FF0000"]linux single[/COLOR][/B][/I]                                                                 
Please wait, loading kernel...                                                       
/vdevice/vfc-client@30000032/disk@500507680307454a,0000000000000000:1,linux: Unable
to open file, Invalid device 
boot: [I][B][COLOR="#FF0000"]single[/COLOR][/B][/I]                                                                   
Please wait, loading kernel...                                                       
/vdevice/vfc-client@30000032/disk@500507680307454a,0000000000000000:1,linux: Unable
to open file, Invalid device 
boot: [I][B][COLOR="#FF0000"]init=/bin/bash[/COLOR][/B][/I]                                                                 
Please wait, loading kernel...                                                       
/vdevice/vfc-client@30000032/disk@500507680307454a,0000000000000000:1,init=/bin/bash:
boot: [I][B][COLOR="#FF0000"]init=/bin/sh[/COLOR][/B][/I]                                                                   
Please wait, loading kernel...                                                       
/vdevice/vfc-client@30000032/disk@500507680307454a,0000000000000000:1,init=/bin/sh: U
nable to open file, Invalid device
2

Hello sharfuddin,

Another method is to boot from install media into rescue mode so you can change the password.

Mike

3

Hi Mike,
Yes booting via iso into rescue helped us ;-). However I wonder how a system could be boot into Single user mode.

4

Hi,

here you can find some examples for single user mode in older SLES releases. You could try only ‘/bin/bash’ (without init) as that site says:

Here’s a different thread on the same topic for SLES 12. If the system is up simply run systemctl rescue.

Regards,
Eugen