[NTLUG:Discuss] New to Linux and seeking assistance

[Leroy Tennison]

No one (not even "root" - the administrative user) can see passwords - it's a security measure.  I don't know how you installed your system so I can't speak to the unknown password issue.  For example, if you selected "Automatically log in" then I've never used that option and don't know how it works.  And, BTW, the term "root" actually has multiple meanings depending on the context:
1) the "root" administrative user who can do everything on the system
2) the "top" of the file system - much like C:\ on a Windows system.  The big difference is that separate parts of the disk(s) (partitions) are not identified by drive letters, there is one file system whose top is "/" (without the quotes, called "root" in the second sense of the term - note the opposite direction of the slash).  Partitions can be "mounted" (located) somewhere under the top of the filesystem.  Partitions (except the one or multiple ones containing the operating system) do not have to be mounted whereas Windows automatically assigns a drive letter to the partitions it finds (which contain a file system).  "Mounting" makes the partitions' file system available at some location under /.  A partition can be unmounted making its file system no longer directly available.  It can even be mounted in one location, unmounted and mounted in a different location.  There are other more exotic things which can be done as well.
3) there may be a group named "root" (again, without the quotes, there is one on Ubuntu)

Something which is easy to try from a terminal prompt is:
sudo -i
If it doesn't prompt for a password (or it accepts Enter in response to the prompt) then you have a solution (see later for explanation): if the prompt changes to include a # sign use:
password <your user name>
to set the password.
Since you have physical access to the the system there are ways to reset an unknown password and you can find many articles on the web about how to do so.  I decided to check some of them out before providing advice and I'm glad I did - none worked.  The ones I tried (and I am on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS) all said to use recovery mode and the instructions worked to a point.  However, when I tried to change a regular user's password I was always prompted for the current password (and this has been the experience of other users as well) - not good.
As another aside, on Ubuntu the user "root"'s account is normally disabled so you can't login directly as root (another security feature), the installation account has "sudo" rights and all administrative activities are done via sudo.  For example, typing "sudo -i" should prompt for your password and, once supplied (if you knew it), switch to a root user terminal session where you can do administrative activities.
A way I have used on the past is to boot to a Live CD and use it to change the password.https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux/reset-your-ubuntu-password-easily-from-the-live-cd/ seems to have a good description and, although it appears to be for an older Ubuntu version, should work.  The default user on an Ubuntu system varies depending on which "flavor" you have, https://askubuntu.com/questions/103896/live-cd-asks-for-a-username-and-password seems to have a reasonably complete list of the variants.
All methods require the use of some more sophisticated commands, if you try one or two and they don't work then a re-install may be the path of least resistance.  If you do re-install don't elect to automatically login and make sure you note the user name and password during installation.  If you have further trouble, post again with the details.
-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin E. Ivey <ik04 at isot.com>
To: NTLUG Discussion List <discuss at ntlug.org>
Sent: Thu, Apr 4, 2019 9:19 am
Subject: Re: [NTLUG:Discuss] New to Linux and seeking assistance

On 2019/03/24 21:06, James Good wrote:
> Greetings and thank you for allowing me to join.
> 
> As a way of introduction, my name is James Good.  My amateur radio
> call sign is KD5VXH.  I live in the Northwest corner of Tarrant
> County, the Parker County/Tarrant County line is less than a mile from
> my house.
> 
> My problem:  The computer that I use had been running Windows 10, with
> all of its constant updates/upgrades.  Almost every day I would find
> at least one, sometimes more, updates/upgrades had been made to the
> operating system and somewhat related changes had been made to other
> parts of other programs on the computer.  Those changes would need to
> be corrected if I wanted those other programs to work.  Those 'other
> programs' were all amateur radio related and used for digital mode
> operations on both HF and VHF/UHF.  The updates/upgrades from
> Microsoft became so frequent and so frustrating that last week I
> located a disk that I had burned with an iso of Ubuntu 18.04.1. 
> Thursday was the day I made the change after testing Ubuntu without
> installing it.  All seemed to work just fine.  And it works better
> than it ever did with Windows (especially any version after Xp).  I
> got the install disk to install Ubuntu to the computer (of course, all
> of the Windows files, programs, and data that had been enjoyed are now
> history). Over the past two or three days, I have been trying to learn
> how this new (to me) operating system really works.  If the install
> disk asked or prompted for a 'user password' during the install
> process, I don't remember seeing it.  And now, any time I try to add
> anything new using the Terminal application, I am asked for my
> password.  As stated, I don't remember seeing a prompt to enter a
> password during the install process.  Now, not knowing what that
> password might be (if one was set) it appears that there is very
> little I would be able to actually do other than a complete
> re-install.
> 
> Is there any way to view the passwords that might be on the computer? 
> And how could I change any password already set if I can't get into
> the 'root' directory to make the change?
> 
> Thank you in advance,
> 
> James Good KD5VXH


Howdy James!

I am an amateur radio operator (K4IVE) and I use all the fldigi 
applications on Linux for most of my digital mode ops.  I do not use 
Ubuntu.

Ubuntu uses a non-privileged user and requires the user to use the 
"sudo" command to make root user inputs.  Other Linux distributions 
allow direct root user access to the system.

There is a control panel application for viewing and modifying user 
attributes.  If you can't change (add) your password there and the 
command line passwd command won't do it, then you will need to ask 
Ubuntu users how to get where you want to be...

Since I don't use Ubuntu, I can't help you beyond that, but you will 
quickly learn that the Linux community can get you an answer in seconds 
if you ask on the supporting forums of here on the user groups mail 
list...

Try shopping around with a few different Linux distributions and check 
out how they differ.  Debian has lots of ham radio apps in its 
repositories that other distros don't have.

Someone here on the mail list will have an answer for your password 
question, so stick around!

73,

Kevin
K4IVE


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