VMware Communities: Message List - Change Root Password

Re: Change Root Password

pearlyshells — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:41:15 GMT

appreciate the good words. thanks very much

Re: Change Root Password

Texiwill — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:58:52 GMT

Hello,

You can change it from either location. Most people however opt to change the root password only from the console.

'Reset' is really a bad term, if you lost the root password and have no means of getting in as root (such as sudo) then you would need to 'recover' or 'recreate' the root password using Rescue Media or booting into single user mode. Note however that for best security you lock out the ability to just boot into single user mode or even make changes to your kernel boot lines within grub without the proper password. Grub has its own password, but single user mode uses 'root's' password. So Rescue may be your only option in this case.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, Virtualization Practice Analyst
Now Available: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment'
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'
SearchVMware Pro|Blue Gears|Top Virtualization Security Links|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

Re: Change Root Password

pearlyshells — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:46:36 GMT

thanks for clearing that up for me. You mention that I have to make the change from console. I see that I can change the root password from the VIC. Why is it that I have to make the change via the console and not the GUI? Just curious

Re: Change Root Password

lreesey — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:39:12 GMT

No reboot is required to change the root password but you need to do this from the console not the GUI. A reboot will be required if you need to reset (forgot old password) and also needs to be done via the console.

-larryr

Re: Change Root Password

pearlyshells — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:34:59 GMT

I'm a bit confused. I see the responses indicating Reset and some for Change of the root password and that for Resetting I will will need to reboot but to Change, I will not need to reboot.

I know the old password and need to change it. So, does that mean I DO NOT need to reboot the host?

Re: Change Root Password

VMSpotlight — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:02:03 GMT

There are a few white papers / articles that might come in handy covering this:

How to Reset the Root Password in VMware ESX 4 - http://xtravirt.com/xd10017

How to Reset your VMware ESX Server root password - http://www.petri.co.il/vmware-esx-server-root-password-reset-recovery-lost.htm

How to change the root password for 3.0.1 - http://communities.vmware.com/thread/72453

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Community Rep on behalf of PHD Virtual Technologies Inc

esXpress radically alters the notion of how to protect data in virtual infrastructures in one simple way: we use the virtual infrastructure to back itself up!

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Re: Change Root Password

pearlyshells — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:29:48 GMT

thanks very much

Re: Change Root Password

Texiwill — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:29:13 GMT

Hello,

Moved to Security forum.

No a REBOOT is NOT necessary to change the root password as credentials are NOT cached.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, Virtualization Practice Analyst
Now Available: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment'
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'
SearchVMware Pro|Blue Gears|Top Virtualization Security Links|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

Re: Change Root Password

athlon_crazy — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:06:29 GMT

when you already $su -

no need to $passwd root

enough do # passwd
Changing password for user root.
New UNIX password:

vcbMC-1.0.6 Beta
vcbMC-1.0.7 Lite
http://www.no-x.org

Re: Change Root Password

harryc — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:42:19 GMT

The change is immediate and permanent.

you can see the (encrypted) root passwd by grepping it ouot of the /etc/shadow file

login as: harryc
harryc@vmhost07's password:
Last login: Wed Jun 24 08:03:07 2009 from 10.2.17.60
-bash-2.05b$ su -
Password:
~~root@vmhost07 root~~# grep root /etc/shadow
root:$1$qQ3g5z4G$yyGlMd6a0mX0KmBXoea2/1:13944:0:-1:7:::
~~root@vmhost07 root~~#passwd root
Changing password for user root.
New UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.
~~root@vmhost07 root~~# grep root /etc/shadow
root:$1$7vOnLgXG$IBTSsEgaXLQ0EkuodLM27.:14420:0::7:::
~~root@vmhost07 root~~#

An interesting note - I changed the root password to the same root password, note how it is encrypted differently.

Re: Change Root Password

pearlyshells — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:22:17 GMT

interesting. I used the VIC to access User & Groups and change the root acct password there. However, the password did not take until I rebooted the host. Is there something different about using the VIC to do this?

Re: Change Root Password

lreesey — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:19:36 GMT

There is no reboot required to change the root password. If you need to reset it because you don't know it then that would require a reboot.

Re: Change Root Password

pearlyshells — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:16:44 GMT

The main article is a checklist to walk me thru changing the password. I was really interested in seeing if it was really necessary to "reboot" the host. The supplemental link sorta indicates I will have to reboot. Darn. That means I'll have to migrate all the VMs first. Kind of a bother.

Thanks

Re: Change Root Password

lreesey — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:03:24 GMT

Hope this helps...

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=1004659&sliceId=1&docTypeID=DT_KB_1_1&dialogID=25277932&stateId=1%200%2027338525

-larryr

Change Root Password

pearlyshells — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:44:24 GMT

We have a policy that requires us to change the Root Password on all our ESX hosts every 90 days. This is a new policy. I have done this once so far and afterward had rebooted the host for the password to take effect. Was wondering if a reboot is really necessary or can I use a restart of service mgmt-vmware?