Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwvax!umn-d-ub!rhealey
From: rhealey@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU (Rob Healey)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: passwd file corrupted
Message-ID: <1127@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU>
Date: 29 Jun 89 01:19:26 GMT
References: <664@sumax.UUCP> <747@mitisft.Convergent.COM>
Reply-To: rhealey@ub.d.umn.edu.UUCP (Rob Healey)
Organization: University of Minnesota, Duluth
Lines: 19

In article <747@mitisft.Convergent.COM> dold@mitisft.Convergent.COM (Clarence Dold) writes:
>in article <664@sumax.UUCP>, vanmane@sumax.UUCP (Mohan Vanmane) says:
>> How can I bring this machine down to administrative mode so that I can
>> change the password file?
>
>How can I tell, via news, whether this is a legitimate request from an
>authorized System Administrator, or a joke from an 'Intro to UNIX' student
>that has a bet with his teacher that he can break into the system?

	If the person in question can get to the power switch to bring the
	machine into administration mode then all the software security is
	pretty much moot. Also, the quickest way to fix things up would
	be to fire up the original installation/distribution tape and go
	into "maintainance" mode. Once in maintainance mode you can mount
	/ and edit the password file. Of course one needs to find that
	original installation tape/disk that's hiding in some mysterious
	dark corner...

			-Rob Healey