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HELP - Reset Root Password - varomix - 05-15-2025

Hi
I am new to SGI machines, always wanted one but never could get one, but I am not new to UNIX, I know some of that and I have been using Linux for a while.

I recently acquired a very nice Octane machine, looks pretty good, works but it has a password for the root user, I could just wipe the drive and install something new but I would like to see what is in it before I do that.


I know there are different ways to reset the password, I've read online, the easiest is to use an install CD, well, the Octane doesn't have a CDROM drive and I don't have one.
I do have a Raspberry PI, can I use something like Reanimator to reset the password?

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you

RE: HELP - Reset Root Password - Raion - 05-15-2025

Normally the way to handle this would be to login on single user but it does not work in that manner on IRIX.

Instead what you should do is log into one of the guest accounts, such as "guest", 4Dgifts etc.

Get a terminal, by any means that you know how, and do:

head -1 /etc/passwd

With any luck they have not enabled Shadow passwords.

Copy the password hash here and me or someone else can crack it using Unix crypt() crackers.

RE: HELP - Reset Root Password - varomix - 05-16-2025

Hey,
I tried most of the "guest" accounts I could find online, none worked, seems like the person that setup this machine knew what he/she was doing.
it also doesn't have the icons login screen so you can't see any other accounts that are there on the system.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks

RE: HELP - Reset Root Password - Raion - 05-16-2025

guest, 4Dgifts, EZsetup, demos, OutOfBox, sysadm

If none of those work, nuke the install.

RE: HELP - Reset Root Password - robespierre - 05-16-2025

Well, you don't need to actually start IRIX to view the /etc/passwd.
Stop for Maintenance -> Command Prompt ->
Code:
>> sash
>> cat /etc/passwd
Depending on the boot variables you might need
Code:
sash: cat dksc(0,1,0)/etc/passwd


RE: HELP - Reset Root Password - Raion - 05-16-2025

Oh I didn't know sash could do that.

RE: HELP - Reset Root Password - varomix - 05-16-2025

I was able to see all the accounts using:

Code:
sash: cat dksc(0,1,0)/etc/passwd

but all the accounts have an X instead of a hash/string

example:
Code:
timn:x:1110:1110:User Tim:/d2/u2/timn:/bin/csh

I guess this means they are in the shadow file right?

RE: HELP - Reset Root Password - Raion - 05-16-2025

Check /etc/shadow

RE: HELP - Reset Root Password - varomix - 05-16-2025

I got this from the /etc/shadow file

Code:
root:Y3z07mGNQdJAg:19459:0:364::::


let me know if that helps to get something
seems to me like is encrypted the same way as regular password, but I'm not very familiar with that.
thanks for the help.

RE: HELP - Reset Root Password - Raion - 05-17-2025

I'm running it through John the ripper. It's taking a while. Certainly not a simple one.