Just emerged -uD world now I can't log in [resolved]

lucif3r · Last edited by lucif3r on Fri Oct 15, 2004 4:16 pm; edited 1 time in total

Well I did an emerge -uD world and then ran etc-update. I carefully told it not to merge the stupid /etc/ files it asks. Why the gentoo programmers think they should ever suggest you overwrite /etc/passwd, /etc/fstab or /etc/group is beyond me. This really ought to be changed.

Regardless I did tell it not to overwrite passwd and group (I just checked my backlog in my terminal, no mistake) but for some reason I can't log in anymore.

My passwords are all screwed. Both the users and root on that computer are changed somehow.

So pop in Knoppix, boot, reset password, right? Wrong. This laptop has no working CD-Rom drive or floppy drive, in fact I will have to go to school just to get a docking station that has a working USB drive.

If it is even possible to boot it from the USB port, then I have a 32Meg usb keychain I could use, but I have never done that before. Is there a trick to it?

My questions is this. Does anyone here have any suggestions for how I might be able to fix this? Or what might be causing the problem in the first place?
_________________
"Take THAT Lisa's belief's" - Homer

Petyr · Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 9:44 pm Post subject:

It is possible to boot from a USB keychain drive, check around about getting a LiveCD on a USB stick, and you should come across some good guides on that.

As for what to check, did the etc-update decide to chance anything with /etc/pam.d ? I can see that mucking up the works if something got messed up in there.

hth,
Petyr

BCC · n00b Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Posts: 51

Did you try to boot in single user mode ?

lucif3r · Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:25 pm Post subject:

No I don't think I have ever tried to boot in single user mode. Do you give it something at the boot prompt to get it to do that?
_________________
"Take THAT Lisa's belief's" - Homer

Petyr · Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:46 pm Post subject:

/me extends hand. Turns palm face up. Moves towards forhead with speed.

Gah I can't believe I didn't think of that one.

if grub comes up you can hit e on the entry that you have selected and that will let you modify the commands it goes through for booting linux

you want to tag the word "single" on the end of the line that tells it what kernel to boot