Can't enable root user in single user mode

hey, im having a problem. I cant enable the root user in single user mode. This is what I do:
1.boot in single user mode
2.I run the command /sbin/fsck -fy
3.I run the command /sbin/mount -uw /
4.I run the command passwd
5.I type the password and then I retype it, but it gives me an error saying passwd: cant change password for root the account is not enabled (thats not exactly what it said, but you get the point)
this worked in leopard, why dosent it work now? can someone give me an alternative way or tell me what im doing wrong?
P.S. give me an actual answer not a why enable root? and I dont want to use directory utility.

The command is wrong man. Do the following:
Boot into S.U. Mode (Cmd+S).
once the terminal prompt opens, type the following:
mount -uw / ("mount"+space+"-uw"+space+slash)
launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.opendirectoryd.plist
passwd root
(after you press enter it will ask the password for the root user. Type it, even if it won't show any character. Then type again to confirm. Once you had finished type: exit).
Test it and post the results.

Similar Messages

Can't log in with valid password, can't boot from disk, can't access disk utility, in single user mode can't reset password as appears locked in caps mode with '?' for forward slash, can anyone help?

Can't log in with valid password, can't boot from disk, can't access disk utility, in single user mode can't reset password as appears locked in caps mode with '?' for forward slash, can anyone help?

Which keyboard layout you were using? German, French ... I suppose your layout is reset to the default: US and you are unable to find the "?" or "/" ...
Please have a look into the keyboard viewer, to see how the layout of your keyboard is actually.
marek

Can't exec /bin/sh for single user

Hi,
When I boot up my iMac G5 it sits on the gray screen with the apple and spinning "doing something" icon, and then goes to a terminal window telling me:
"can't exec /bin/sh for single user: Input/output error"
It started doing this last night after multiple beachball of death situations. Anyone have any ideas? Or is it time for this old machine to be put out to pasture?
Thanks
Mungo

Hi Mungo,
invalid key length is a serious issue that can sometimes be fixed by "heavy duty" utilites like DiskWarrior and Drive Genius.
If you don't have enough room to re-install the OS, though, you have seriously overfilled it and they may not be able to deal with the problem either.
You should always aim to keep at least 15% free space on the drive, preferably more. On my 250 Gig internal drive, for example, I see the beginning of stability and speed problems when I get down to below around 30 gigs of free space. It varies a bit depending on what you use your Mac for, but my own preference is to always aim for 50 Gigs free on this 250 Gig drive.
You have to fix the "keys out of order" problem before you even think of re-installing the OS.
The best solution is to reformat the drive. It is unlikely that it actually needs replacing. However I still think you should buy another drive, but an external one, if you don't have one already.
My approach to your problem would be:
1) Go and buy a nice big external firewire drive if you don't have one already (ideally at least twice the size of your internal).
2) Install OSX on the external drive (You may want to partition it into two volumes first, keeping one partition to store a "cloned backup" of your internal and one for general usage, overflow storage, etc)
3) Boot from the external HD and copy across your precious stuff from the internal drive to the external. (If you have created two partitions on the external you could use the excellent utility "SuperDuper" to "clone" the internal to the second partition - the one witout the OS installed on it)
4) Reformat the internal drive, preferably using the single "zeroing" option.
5) Re-install the OS and software on your internal drive
6) Copy back your data (documents, music, movies etc) to your internal but make sure you leave plenty of free space on it. If you have a large music library , or lots of movies, for example, you might want to keep them on the external, rather than putting them back)
7) From now on use one partition of your external drive for regular "cloned" backups of the internal and the other for general storage overflow etc.
Cheers
Rod

Init: can't exec /bin/sh for single user.....

Has anyone come across this gem during start-up? it's outputting
init: can't exec /bin/sh for single user: No such file or directory
init: can't exec /bin/sh for single user: No such file or directory
init: can't exec /bin/sh for etc/rc: No such file or directory
This shows up after the apple logo on start-up. Any ideas?

That message suggests that Mac OS X isn't able to open a shell or run the startup scripts because one of the items it needs is missing. Fixing this issue will require reinstalling Mac OS X.
(11150)

Can't enable root user?

I am following the instructions on the Apple website to enable the root user, and it says that after you enter your admin password on the Directory Utility window, to simply pick 'Enable Root User' from the 'Edit' menu. I don't see any menu that says 'edit', or anything that says, 'enable root user.' Help?
Thank you!

I think you mean single user mode, which is done by booting while holding down "comman + S" keys.
Single user mode, while it enables you with root privileges is not the same as working as root from a normal bootup sequence. SU mode only loads a very minimal system, with most of the kernel extensions and system daemons dis-abled. It also mounts your disk in read-only mode. In order to do anything other than rudimentary trouble shooting in SU mode (like running fsck), you are going to have to know a fair bit of UNIX command line knowledge to start up or enable things you may want or need (like write capability to disc contents, or networking).
The keyboard is limited to ANSI terminal settings, so no foreign language support.
So, if you are doing something that actually requires a root terminal session (installing something from source code, for example), just login normally, start Terminal, and enter "sudo su -". Enter your admin password and you will be in a root terminal session, but with a full, normally booted system and all its features.

How can we enable the trace at schema / user level

Hi ,
I knew how to enable the trace at session level and system level.
How can we enable trace at schema / user level.
Thanks
Naveen

I still don't understand.
As far as I know, 'trace' means 'to emit information about a subset of the steps being taken through code, generally to profile timing or identify code paths'.
As far as I know, a user and a schema are passive. There is absolutely no code 'running' against a user or a schema. I have no idea what could be 'traced' for a user or schema that is not already available in the data dictionary.
Further, a schema is nothing other than a named set of database objects. The name happens to be tied to a specific userid. So a schema could be considered a special kind of userid - although that is technically incorrect.
A session, on the other hand, is active. There is code running, there is memory assigned. It happens to link to the connection established by a user, using a specific userid.
I think you have told us you know how to turn on tracing for a session.
Why can you not turn on the traciong for all the sessions for a userid?

Enable Remote Management in Single-User Mode

Hi,
I would like to know how to enable Remote Management option (System Preferences > Sharing) in single-user mode.
Thanks in advance
Regards

If ssh won't get you where you want and brute-force loading the various plists isn't working for your case (as mentioned, error messages and details might help), then AFAIK, fully remote-managing a Mac usually involves adding a network-capable power switch and an outboard network-capable KVM adapter. (The Xserve was the last box with (limited) remote-management capabilities, and there's not been any indication that Apple might be releasing systems with Intel AMT (iAMT, vPro) support available and enabled.)

Can not book from DVD or Single user mode

Hello,
In a bit of a pickle here. I have an ibook g3, 10gb hard drive, 512mb ram, cd/dvd combo drive and an airport card.
When i book up the system I get the broken folder icon (the flashing ? mark) I have tried to get the system to boot from a DVD of Mac OS X Tiger. However no matter how long I hold the C button down it will never even try to boot from the DVD.
Also no matter how long I hold down Command + S it will never go into the single user mode. However I know that the keyboard is good because I have been able to reset the PRAM with CommandoptionP and R and I get the normal two chimes. No luck.
I have reset the PMU out of desperation. I have even installed a new keyboard from a working ibook.
I know it would be easier to just buy a new mac but this isnt an option for me due to money issues so I want to fix this system. Also I do not have a double ended firewire cable for target disk mode.
My question is what do you do when you cant get past the broken folder and when it does not even try to load the Mac DVD?
HELP ME PLEASE!

Have you tried booting into Safe Mode? If not, I suggest that you give it a try. This will take quite awhile longer than a normal startup because it does a file check and repair of the hard disk.
If this works you will see your normal desktop. Once completely started up in Safe Mode, try to restart normally, and go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Click on the top hard drive icon in the left sidebar and note the S.M.A.R.T. status at the bottom right of the pane. What does it say?
Select the named boot volume in the left sidebar, ("Macintosh HD" unless you've renamed it). What is the hard drive capacity and how much space remains available on it? Repair permissions on it.
See if you are able to do a little hard drive maintenance to help things out.

Can I run DW4 in Safe/Single User mode?

I have downloaded DiskWarrior 4, biut I am unable to create a boot disc from the .dmg file. Is it possible to run the DW4 application from Safe Boot/Single User mode?

Once you get the physical CD in the mail, that one should boot your computer. Until then, you'll have to boot from a different drive.
I keep a copy of OS X installed on my iPod for troubleshooting purposes. It's got DiskWarrior, the AppleCare TechTool, Intech Speed Tools, etc. installed on it.

Very strange: can not enable root.

One of my old G4 behaves very strange, unless everything is running very well, I can't log in as root.
Also after enabling root in NetInfo manager, I can't login as root, neither as user nor using SSH.
I resetted the Pasword using the Install-DVD. But still no effect.
Finally i deleted the root account using NetInfoManager and deleted the root home dirctory /private/var/root.
So I was able to activate root in NIM again, restarted the local NetInfo-Domain and again: nothing.
It is complete impossible to log into this machine as root. But I have to.
Making a complete new install on this mac will cost me at least one day, so this is not an option.
Workin since ever with lots of macs, I never faced such a strange thing. Please help!

Should the features and access you require not work in 10.4.11, you may have to
consider installing a new system folder and update that; if the issue really is one
of some unusual happening and the superuser or root user is inaccessible.
Are you sure you really need root user access? There are other ways to do stuff.
You appear to have already tried the basic steps to gain root level access:
"Enabling the Root User" - an Apple Help 10.4 support document:
- http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh1549.html
This thread really does show more than one way to handle the issue...
"How do I enable root user? - 10.5.x"
{includes a 'command line editor" discussion - and other detailed options}
- http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1910434&tstart=0
There may also be some helpful access to command line and other
super user or unix baseline methods in the OnyX utility from Titanium
Software, the free-running user interface utility. I've seen this section
in there but have no need presently to experiment with it.
In any event, see if the second link above is helpful; it may be.
Good luck & happy computing!

Can't enable root access in Lion 10.7.2

Hi all,
I have read this Apple article on enabling root in Lion. It doesn't work for me.
I did a fresh install of Lion 10.7.2 to a formatted drive from a USB thumbdrive. I ran Software Update until there were no more updates.
When I open the "Directory Utility", the padlock shows open, and when I click on it, I am not prompted to authenticate, as the article suggests. In the Edit menu, Enable Root User is grayed out.
Any ideas how I do this?
Thanks.
Mac Pro 2 x 2.66GHz Quad Core Xeon, 12GB RAM

flyboym535i wrote:
To etresoft: Don't you need to enable root access before you can sudo to root in the Terminal? That's what started me down this path in the first place – because I couldn't sudo to root in Terminal. Then I remembered I needed to enable root access.
No, you do not. I think you probably just weren't using sudo correctly. Normally, you just do "sudo /path/to/some/executable <program arguments>". If you are a real daredevil, you can just do "sudo bash" and give yourself a root shell.
I actually submitted an enhancement request to Apple to suggest they improve the root user process. Even when it works (and it doesn't half the time in Lion), it is horribly convoluted. I would prefer it if Lion had something like "Run as" in Windows. Apple's response to my enhancement request was "Why don't you just use sudo?". So I tried again to explain it.
Until there are significant enhancements in this area, "sudo" is the way to go.

Diff bet multi user and single user installation

Hi,
what is the diff betweeen single user and multi user installation,please let me know advantages and disadvantages also .
Regards

Hi,
what is the diff betweeen single user and multi user installationSingle user installation is having one user who owns all the application/database tier files. When you do an installation, you run RapidWiz as this user.
Multi-user installation is having two different users (applmgr user who owns the application tier files, and oracle user who owns the database tier files). When you do the installation, you run RapidWiz as root user.
On Windows, you cannot have multi-user installation. So, the above is valid on Unix/Linux.
More details can be found in the Concept manual --> http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/applications.html
please let me know advantages and disadvantages also .I always prefer multi-user installation as you just source the application/env file in the user's profile (in the applmgr/oracle profile) and the file is sourced once you login as that user. For single user installation, you will have to be sure that you source the proper env file manually each time you want to switch between the application and the database (just imagine if you try to shutdown/startup the database after sourcing the application env file, or trying to use any database executable file like export/import/sqlplus ..etc, you will end up using the application tier executable files).
Regards,
Hussein

Set Database Back to Multi User from Single User

I am using SharePoint Services 3.0 (SP1) with default configuration options, which installs the Microsoft##SSEE instance of SQL to my local C:\ drive.
While attempting to relocate the files to another drive, I set one of the databases (as recommended) to Single User by using the SQL Server Management Express tool.
I cannot now reset that database to Multi User, even by executing the query
exec sp_dboption 'database_name', 'single user', ''FALSE'
again by using the Management Express Tool.
Can someone please help, in plain english???? Thanks

I have similar issue.
I have took backup of WSUS (Windows Server 2002 R2) Windows internal database using SQL Server 2008 Management Studio and restored on Windows Server 2012 R2 Server.
Now SUSDB database was in Single User mode. I have tried ALTER DATABASE <<Database Name>> SET MULTI_USER WITH NO_WAIT and i'm getting blow error.
Msg 5069, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
ALTER DATABASE statement failed.
How i can change it Multi User?
Thanks
Uma

I can't enable VT-x in Thinkpad setup mode

Tôi cài đặt VMware, nó có thể không hoạt động tôi không thể cho phép VT-x
Khi tôi ở chế độ thiết lập thinkpad, tôi không thể thay đổi kích hoạt hoặc vô hiệu hóa VT-x
nó ẩn, tôi không thể thay đổi nó Xin hãy giúp tôi !!

Google translation of above post:
I installed VMware, it can not work I can not enable VT-x
When I set thinkpad mode, I can not change the enable or disable VT-x
it hidden, I can not change it Please help me !!
This is an English-language forum. When posting in another language please provide a translation to English.
Are you saying that the VT-x option is not available in BIOS? Or it is available but you can't toggle it to "enabled"? Or that you set it to enabled, but VMWare still reports it as disabled?
What laptop modela and operating system are you using?
If you are turning VT on in BIOS but still getting the VMWare error, things to check:
after setting VT to ON, do a full power-off, power on reboot as stated in the VMWare message.
Make sure you don't have Hyper-V enabled (in Windows features) as Hyper-V will hide the VT setting from other hypervisors.
Some versions of Avast antivirus will also hide the VT setting from applications.
Z.
The large print: please read the Community Participation Rules before posting. Include as much information as possible: model, machine type, operating system, and a descriptive subject line. Do not include personal information: serial number, telephone number, email address, etc. The fine print: I do not work for, nor do I speak for Lenovo. Unsolicited private messages will be ignored. ... GeezBlog
English Community Deutsche Community Comunidad en Español Русскоязычное Сообщество

Admin users appearing as group20(staff) Can't enable root user

I'm trying to create a new default user template for a load of machines at work. According to everything I've found online in order to do this I need to log in as the root superuser but when I attempt to do so the terminal gives me a 'sorry' response to my admin account password. Terminal command
id
shows my account as
GID=20(staff)
even though Terminal command
dscl . read /groups/admin GroupMembership
lists users root and ict (my admin account)
I've tried creating a new local admin account and that also appears as group20.
Can someone perhaps steer me in the right direction?
Many thanks
JSL

I still don't understand why my admin users don't show up as group 80 with the id command though
It's normal for an admin user to be given the primary group ID = staff (GID 20), and also to be a member of a number of additional groups, including the admin group (80).
Running the id command when logged into a newly-created admin account t1, I got:
~ t1$ id
uid=505(t1) gid=20(staff) groups=20(staff),204(_developer),100(_lpoperator),98(_lpadmin),81(_appserveradm),80(admin),
79(_appserverusr),61(localaccounts),12(everyone),401(com.apple.access_screenshar ing),
402(com.apple.sharepoint.group.1)
Do you see something different?

Can't enable root user in single user mode

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for