[Retrograde]

The Meat: I installed the security update for 10.2 and after rebooting it won't accept my password. I am now in root (which it would accept the password for) and trying to figure out what the heck happened.

And the Bones: Can I change my normal user password from within root or do I need to reinstall the OS from scratch in order to get things back to normal?

***************************
I installed OS 10.2 after zeroing my drive and, after trying to reinstall many apps and get things back to normal, I decided to run software update. It gave me an error twice when trying to download and install, so I decided to fetch the installer directly from Apple and install it manually. This install went like normal including asking me for my password as authentication and then asked to restart, which it did, and brought me to my normal login screen.

The normal login screen just presented me with the shaky window scenario and now I have no idea what to do (it had worked on previous occasions and the password was not misspelled or mistaken). The only thing I can think to do is somehow change my normal user account's password from within root: is there any unix guru who can tell me how to do this? alternatively I guess I will have to reinstall the OS from scratch. Guess which option I would prefer to do!

Help!

[Retrograde]

Can anyone help? I need a unix guru now!

[jules]

.

[Vanquish]

OSX.2 also tells me that my password must contain a minimum of 4 characters. In 10.1 i had a 2 character password. (don't start about how insecure that is, because I don't care, this is on my home computer and I want a password I can enter quickly when installing something, I don't really need security on this computer.)
Why is this ?

[Retrograde]

Originally posted by jules:
.

Ok, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here: that's, like, some unix code domahickey, right?

C'mon, anyone know how to change a user's password from within root? or is this forbidden territory as you all think I might be trying to hack into a fellow user's account on my machine? Believe me, my troubles are legit!

[Ganesha]

Originally posted by Retrograde:

C'mon, anyone know how to change a user's password from within root? or is this forbidden territory as you all think I might be trying to hack into a fellow user's account on my machine? Believe me, my troubles are legit!

passwd [username]

[Retrograde]

Originally posted by Ganesha:


passwd [username]

Unfortunately I am not much of a unix guru and so I'm not really sure what to do with that. I'm logged in (graphically, ie. with a full desktop and account open from the login screen at bootup) as "root" because my normal user name's password has become botched.

so I open the Terminal, type "passwd [retrograde]" and it comes up with this:

"passwd: No match"

any ideas?

Thanks for the reply

[seb2]

try it without the brackets:

passwd retrograde

that should do it.

edit: did you install the bsd subsystem?

[Osirisis]

You can also boot from the 10.2 CD and reset the user password from there with the utilities.

[absmiths]

Originally posted by Retrograde:


Ok, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here: that's, like, some unix code domahickey, right?

C'mon, anyone know how to change a user's password from within root? or is this forbidden territory as you all think I might be trying to hack into a fellow user's account on my machine? Believe me, my troubles are legit!

Why is everyone being so cagey? This is an area that can be very confusing and this guy is being straightforward about asking for help...


Open Terminal.app (It is in /Applications/Utilities), and when it comes up, type

Code:
passwd username

and substitute the 'username' with the actual user's account, E.G., for the user brad I would type:

Code:
passwd brad

And you will be prompted with:

Code:
Changing password for brad.
New password:

There you type the password followed by return, and you will get:

Code:
Retype new password:

and then type the password again. If you typed the password the same way both times, the password will be reset. If you ever forget the root password, just run the installer from the CD and it will reset root for you.

BTW, this happened to me once before and I never figured out why.

[Retrograde]

Thanks guys, really, for all your help you've been stars

well here is the result:

I managed to do exactly everything as you described and managed to change the password from within root via the terminal... or so I thought!

I logged out and got the login window and when I typed in my name and the new password I designated in root it still gave me the shakey window!! so I gave up and pulled out the install cds and am now sitting in a completely fresh version of Jaguar.

What happened I'll never know but I do hope this doesn't recur!

Again, thanks guys!