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login broke

donb

My new Pi let me login several times when I first powered up but now (without changing any thing) it seems all the drivers etc. are loading but at login it will not accept the default login I used the day before, What has happened and what is the fix please?

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  • 0

    One possibility is that your file system has been corrupted.  When turning off RasPi, be sure to use a shutdown command so that the file system synchronizes, i.e., files in memory are copied out to your SD card.  A GUI desktop should have a shutdown command somewhere.  From the GNU/Linux command line, enter "shutdown -h now".

     

    If your file system is corrupted, it's probably easiest just to reload the image.

  • 0 in reply to johnbeetem

    Thanks John.

    I bought the SD card preprogramed. Is there a way to load just the file that checks the password given the fact that I can't get logged on?

  • 0 in reply to donb

    Don Baugh wrote:

     

    Thanks John.

    I bought the SD card preprogramed. Is there a way to load just the file that checks the password given the fact that I can't get logged on?

    There may be, but I don't know how.  Since you can't log in, I would think the only way you can access the SD card is using an SDcard reader from a (preferably GNU/Linux) PC.  But then, once you have that access you need to find and replace the corrupted file(s) from somewhere.  As I said, it's probably easier to just reload a new image.

     

    I welcome comments from GNU/Linux gurus who know much more about it.

  • 0 in reply to johnbeetem

    Thanks again again for the input. I will need some help from some GNU/Linux gurus

     

    Don

     

    From: johnbeetem

    Sent: Friday, December 06, 2013 2:39 PM

    To: Don Baugh

    Subject: - login broke

     

                

     

          login broke

          created by John Beetem in Raspberry Pi - View the full discussion

  • 0 in reply to donb

    If you can mount the card on a card reader and you are able to see the /boot partition there - it's FAT32 - you may be able to make the raspberry boot up in single user mode by redirecting the init script to a shell.

     

    That would grant you root access without a password so you would be able to change or restore that default password for the user.

     

    TO do it you must put the raspberry sdcard on a reader.

     

    It should open the FAT32 boot partition where you should see a file called cmdline.txt

     

    Add a line with "init=/bin/sh" . If you have a programmers editor with Unix line endings better. Not sure if windows line endings may break boot.

     

    Put back the sdcard on the raspberry and boot.

     

    It should boot straight to a root shell - you will be uid 0 so root - where you can issue the passwd command to change the password.

     

    As example for the user "username":

     

    $ passwd username

    Changing password for user username.

    New UNIX password:

    Retype new UNIX password:

    passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.

     

    On the "New UNIX password: " just write the new password, don't worry of you don't see anything being typed, it's normal. Put the same password on the "Retype new UNIX password: " prompt.

     

    After that shut down the pi - use the command "halt -p" -  put back the card in the SD reader, remove the init=/bin/sh line and put it back in the pi to boot normally.

     

    You should be able to log in with the new password.

  • 0 in reply to iagorubio

    Thanks Iago for your response. I know it to lots of your time to answer in such detail.

    I have only windows on a tower with an SD card slot. I mounted it there and 2 folders and 8 files came up but no cmdline.txt file was among them using windows explorer. I also looked into the 2 folders and did not find cmdline.txt there either. I have a 64 bit operating system so am I reading everything on the SD card that I should be reading?

    I have no programmers editor with UNIX.

    I can get into command line (Dos) thru Windows and there is a debugger that comes with Windows but I have never used it and don't know if it will do what you are suggesting.

    I am still at a stand still, not knowing what to do next.

    thanks again Don

  • 0 in reply to donb

    Hey Don Baugh,

    Don Bishop here... I have been reading the posts here. And I think that the first one is the simplest fix. You can easily Re-Format your SD Card and Install Noobs, RaspBMC or which ever Raspberry Pi OS that you wish. I just finished updating my Review of the XBMC Pi Bundle from Element 14. With some info and links on how to do this. Check it out and I think you will be able to fix your Pi's OS, fairly easily with your Windows Machine...  http://www.element14.com/community/roadTestReviews/1577

    Don Bishop

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