Getting to root in Knoppix

[Dragon365]

Hey all. I'm tryin to install knoppix on an old PC, and it tells me that I need to have more privileges to use the hard drive tools. I don't know too much about linux, so i'll assume that I need to be root (instead of the user "Knoppix") Any bright ideas - I'll need step by step instructions because i am rather clueless.

 

[mjquilly]

I think in Knoppix, you can "su root" to become root. I'm at work now, but I think I have a knoppix CD here somewhere. If I find it, I'll test that out...

 

[Dragon365]

It asks me for a password, and I don't know the password.

 

[skyking]

give me a minute, I'll boot into it and tell you. It was convoluted, but we got to root

 

[Heisenberg]

When I used it, I used 'sudo' to run commands as root.

 

[skyking]

pull up the KDE menu, got to Knoppix, then root shell. I was unable to Su to root, but it has a shell in there already
Once you use it in a session, it will stay at the top of the KDE menu.

 

[Dragon365]

OK, I got knoppix onto the hard drive, but now i don't know the password for either user because it never asked me for passwords. Help!

 

[mjquilly]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
When I used it, I used 'sudo' to run commands as root.

oh yeah, that's what i did before too.

 

[mjquilly]

Originally posted by: Dragon365
OK, I got knoppix onto the hard drive, but now i don't know the password for either user because it never asked me for passwords. Help!

wait...so you're installing this, not just running off the cd? would this work to change the root password?

"sudo passwd root"

 

[mcveigh]

I had this same problem a few months ago.

IIRC the password was either blank, or "knoppix"

hope this helps, let us know if that does it

 

[Dragon365]

Ok, everything is solved and knoppix is installed. It seems that mot of the problems lied in a badly burned CD (compliments of me), which resulted in the password manager getting screwed up, and not trouble with linux itself. Thanks for your help though!