Reset admin/root password in FreeBSD (howto)

Published
by
Gerard
on August 20, 2008
in FreeBSD
. Tags: .
  1. Turn the system off.
  2. Hit ESC when the OS boots up
  3. Choose to boot into Single User Mode (option 4)
  4. Select the default shell (/bin/sh)
  5. When the machine is booted up and you see the prompt, enter:
    • mount -u /
    • mount -a
  6. Type passwd to reset the password
  7. Enter the new password and confirm it
  8. Type reboot to reboot the machine (or press the shutdown button to reboot)

2 Responses to “Reset admin/root password in FreeBSD (howto)”

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  1. 1 kace
    August 20, 2008 at 2:06 pm

    This is only a feature for boxes that are in a secure location. Anywhere else, someone who’s alone with your machine could reboot it and get root!

    For machines that are not in a secure location, you should edit “/etc/ttys” and mark the console as insecure. Then, after you reboot (or HUP init), no one can go to single-user mode without first entering the root password. … Bad for lost passwords, but good for security. :)

  2. 2 Ciprian
    November 17, 2008 at 12:34 pm

    It happened to me once and it was quite complicated to discover this even though it’s similar to linux. I agree you should put the console as insecure but then what? You can use a boot cd with a portable cd drive so the box is more protected. Any other ideas?

  1. 1 Reset admin/root password in FreeBSD (howto) | BSD News
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