Resetting a root password in Linux without external media

We have to follow 8 steps to crack root password without using any external media

Step-1 : Reboot the system and interrupt the boot loader countdown timer by pressing any key except enter.
Step-2 : Find the entry that is normally booted, and change it to halt execution during the initial ram disk.
- 2.1. Use the cursor keys to highlight the entry that is normally booted and press e
- 2.2. Use the cursor to move to the line that has the kernel and kernel arguments. This line normally starts with
```
linux16 or linuxefi.
```
- 2.3. Move the cursor to the end of line by pressing End, and add rd.break.
- 2.4. Press Ctrl+x to boot using the modified stanza and you will get a command line interface.
- Step-3: On command line Interface you have to write command
```
# mount -o remount,rw /sysroot
```
  Here we are mounting the system read-write . The file system is mounted under /sysroot.
- Step-4 : Change the working root to /sysroot directory.
```
# chroot /sysroot
```
- Step-5 : Now you can change password
```
#passwd root
```
- Step-6 : Now make sure that all the unlabeled files(like /etc/shadow) get relabeled during boot so run the command
```
#touch /.autorelabel
```
- Step-7 : Now by running command exit you can exit from interactive shell.
```
# exit
```
- Step-8 : Now again run exit command by which you can exit from command line interface and booting process will start again with new root password.
```
# exit
```

Last Updated : 29 Sep, 2022