News Group Posts

root entry bad shell

This is interesting because the root password is known. I would also try booting to single user mode as that sometimes uses a different shell than what passwd specifies.

Message-ID: <39E9ED92.445B348@squonk.net> 
From: "Brian K. White" <linut@squonk.net>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sco.misc
Subject: Re: /etc/passwd root entry bad shell any recovery ?
References: <8sbsfs$42k$1@nnrp1.deja.com> 
Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 17:33:59 GMT

owen_townsend@my-deja.com wrote:
> 
> I screwed up the shell entry for root in /etc/passwd (UW 7.1)
> I was trying to get root to use the KORN shell, which did not work
> so I tried to replace with original but got /sbin/ksh vs /sbin/sh
> 
> original & correct entry is -->/sbin/sh
> my incorrect entry no is ----->/sbin/ksh
> 
> Problem now is I cant login as root to fix it.
> It reports UX:shserv ERROR NO SHELL & reprompts for login
> even though I still have the correct password
> 
> If anybody has a solution it would be most appreciated & rewarded
> Thanks Owen Townsend owen@uvsoftware.ca
> 
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.

boot up with a boot floppy, mount /dev/hd0 /mnt, vi /mnt/etc/passwd, umount
/dev/hd0, reboot
You can create the boot floppy from the install cd if you don't still have
the original or any other boot floppy perhaps created by a backup package.
you can even create the boot floppy from the cd using a windows box if you
don't have permission to mount the CD under SCO without root.
You just need to download rawrite.exe, or use dd on a linux box or another
sco unix or any unix box  

or

can you su root ? can you su anyone who has permission to either edit
/etc/passwd, or, copy /sbin/sh to /sbin/ksh ?

or

can you ftp to the box using roots name & password? you could download,
edit, and upload /etc/passwd ... you could actually try this right from the
same box using an ordinary user account. login as some user, vi ~/.netrc ,
add one line by itself:
machine localhost login root password root_passwd_here
chmod 600 ~/.netrc , ftp localhost , cd /etc , get passwd , !vi passwd , put
passwd , Alt-F3 , try to login as root on console 3 , Alt-F1 , close the ftp
seesion on console 1 or edit and upload again

-- 
Brian K. White                   http://www.squonk.net/users/linut
+++++[>+++[>+++++>+++++++<<-]<-]>>+.>.+++++.+++++++.-.[>+<---]>++.
filePro BBx  Linux SCO  Prosper/FACTS AutoCAD  #callahans Satriani

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