I installed MD 2008 on a new machine.
I choose a root password containing some none letter/number characters.
In the configuration part of the install I chose my keyboard layout which is
not the default(?) US one.

All went well until I rebooted and tried to do an update.
Now my new root password did not work! And to be honest, I don't even know
how to change it...

Googled for the layout of the US keyboard and when I used the corresponding
characters the password worked as it should :)

To make it a bit clearer... an underscore on my keyboard is a question mark
on the US one. So, if I used an underscore it was 'registered' as a
question mark in my password during the install process. (So for my
password to work I had to change what I had entered as an underscore to a
question mark.) Hope this makes sense...

I have not seen this mentioned before but have read about people having
problems with their passwords. Maybe this can be the reason for it?

On Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:12:45 +0100, Iordani wrote:
>
> All went well until I rebooted and tried to do an update.
> Now my new root password did not work! And to be honest, I don't even know
> how to change it...

Once you get to a run level 1 command line prompt you issue something like
passwd root
flowerpot
flowerpot

Now root's password is flowerpot. Works for other users too. :)

So, you might pick failsafe from your boot menu if you have it and try
passwd when you get to a prompt.

If that fails, we would have to know which boot loader you are using
for booting run level 1.

Another option is rescue mode. You boot cd/dvd, and chroot the /
partition by the following:
get to console/terminal
mkdir /old
mount -t auto /dev/XdYZ /old
(u solve for X [h,s], Y [a,b,c...] & Z [1,2,3..])
chroot /old
passwd
shutdown -r now
exit
exit

Iordani <somewhere@earth.net> writes:

>I installed MD 2008 on a new machine.
>I choose a root password containing some none letter/number characters.
>In the configuration part of the install I chose my keyboard layout which is
>not the default(?) US one.

I believe that the keyboard on installation is the US keyboard. Only on
reboot is the one you chose used.


>All went well until I rebooted and tried to do an update.
>Now my new root password did not work! And to be honest, I don't even know
>how to change it...

>Googled for the layout of the US keyboard and when I used the corresponding
>characters the password worked as it should :)

OK, now you are in as root, change the password!!
If you really want to use those weird characters, make the password an easy
one which works on all keyboards, and then restart X and install a new root
password with your new keyboard.


>To make it a bit clearer... an underscore on my keyboard is a question mark
>on the US one. So, if I used an underscore it was 'registered' as a
>question mark in my password during the install process. (So for my
>password to work I had to change what I had entered as an underscore to a
>question mark.) Hope this makes sense...

>I have not seen this mentioned before but have read about people having
>problems with their passwords. Maybe this can be the reason for it?

Bit Twister wrote:


> Once you get to a run level 1 command line prompt you issue something like
> passwd root
> flowerpot
> flowerpot
>
> Now root's password is flowerpot. Works for other users too. :)
>
> So, you might pick failsafe from your boot menu if you have it and try
> passwd when you get to a prompt.
>
> If that fails, we would have to know which boot loader you are using
> for booting run level 1.
>
> Another option is rescue mode. You boot cd/dvd, and chroot the /
> partition by the following:
> get to console/terminal
> mkdir /old
> mount -t auto /dev/XdYZ /old
> (u solve for X [h,s], Y [a,b,c...] & Z
> [1,2,3..])
> chroot /old
> passwd
> shutdown -r now
> exit
> exit

I was just going to google around for some answers on that.
Now I don't have to.
Thank you.

Unruh wrote:

> OK, now you are in as root, change the password!!
> If you really want to use those weird characters, make the password an
> easy one which works on all keyboards, and then restart X and install a
> new root password with your new keyboard.

Well, I don't think one character is more weird than another.
My point was just to mention this behavior and maybe suggest that keyboard
layout should be chosen before one enters the passwords in the install
process.

On 2008-02-17, Iordani <somewhere@earth.net> wrote:
> Unruh wrote:
>
>> OK, now you are in as root, change the password!!
>> If you really want to use those weird characters, make the password an
>> easy one which works on all keyboards, and then restart X and install a
>> new root password with your new keyboard.
>
> Well, I don't think one character is more weird than another.
> My point was just to mention this behavior and maybe suggest that keyboard
> layout should be chosen before one enters the passwords in the install
> process.

That does seem a reasonable idea - particularly given that Mandriva is a
mostly French outfit so presumably familiar with non-US keyboards.

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

Whiskers <catwheezel@operamail.com> writes:

>On 2008-02-17, Iordani <somewhere@earth.net> wrote:
>> Unruh wrote:
>>
>>> OK, now you are in as root, change the password!!
>>> If you really want to use those weird characters, make the password an
>>> easy one which works on all keyboards, and then restart X and install a
>>> new root password with your new keyboard.
>>
>> Well, I don't think one character is more weird than another.
>> My point was just to mention this behavior and maybe suggest that keyboard
>> layout should be chosen before one enters the passwords in the install
>> process.

Of course in the installation, the keyboard is "chosen" before the root
password is entered. Unfortunately after the keyboard is chosen, I do not
believe that X is told to use the new keyboard. Ie, it simply uses the
default throughout the installation process.

Anyway, submit a bug to qa.mandriva.com



>That does seem a reasonable idea - particularly given that Mandriva is a
>mostly French outfit so presumably familiar with non-US keyboards.