[NTLUG:Discuss] MAJOR mess

[Dan Carlson]

There may be other/better ways to do it, but one way is to (however you
choose to do it) boot from an alternate root file system.  Then mount your
original root filesystem, edit the passwd file to restore root, and reboot.

If you have a rescue boot floppy with its own root floppy that may be all
you need.

If you can download a large ISO and burn a CD then you can use the
SuperRescue CD, which contains a large and fairly complete linux
distribution all on a single bootable CD:

http://www.kernel.org/pub/dist/superrescue/

I have used v1, I haven't used v2.  I have found it very useful and highly
recommend it.

Dan Carlson

----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel L. Shipman" <webmaster at srj.net>
To: <discuss at ntlug.org>
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 6:02 PM
Subject: [NTLUG:Discuss] MAJOR mess


> I feel like an idiot!
>
> On accident, as root, editing /etc/passwd in vi, I typed
> dd
> :wq
>
> This deleted the line:
> root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
>
> >From the /etc/passwd file
>
> Now root does not exist
>
> What do I do?
>
> Any suggestions - please??????????????????????????
>
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