From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Apr 3 09:54:04 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 63F5E106566C for ; Tue, 3 Apr 2012 09:54:04 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from mueller23@insightbb.com) Received: from mail.insightbb.com (smtp1.insight.synacor.com [208.47.185.23]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 101D08FC15 for ; Tue, 3 Apr 2012 09:54:03 +0000 (UTC) X_CMAE_Category: 0,0 Undefined,Undefined X-CNFS-Analysis: v=1.1 cv=iYdkVlV7rZWerJvnOo0zvjG0HL7QvzhP2e1I8jcVEcE= c=1 sm=0 a=jLN7EqiLvroA:10 a=mDV3o1hIAAAA:8 a=XRoGZaFjSTjz69kNsJ4A:9 a=Oj6wETyy1giKAzKmCd0A:7 a=Q/oqmR4JO1zR3vNQamCQeQ==:117 X-CM-Score: 0 X-Scanned-by: Cloudmark Authority Engine Authentication-Results: smtp01.insight.synacor.com smtp.mail=mueller23@insightbb.com; spf=softfail; sender-id=softfail Authentication-Results: smtp01.insight.synacor.com header.from=mueller23@insightbb.com; sender-id=softfail Received-SPF: softfail (smtp01.insight.synacor.com: transitional domain insightbb.com does not designate 74.134.26.53 as permitted sender) Received: from [74.134.26.53] ([74.134.26.53:39848] helo=localhost) by mail.insightbb.com (envelope-from ) (ecelerity 2.2.2.40 r(29895/29896)) with ESMTP id 14/50-19145-CE6CA7F4; Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:46:21 -0400 Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:46:20 -0400 Message-ID: <14.50.19145.CE6CA7F4@smtp01.insight.synacor.com> From: "Thomas Mueller" To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: <20120403.044955.25054.0@webmail02.dca.untd.com> Cc: "gs_stoller@juno.com" Subject: Re: booting a CD-ROM X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:54:04 -0000 > I have an old FreeBSD system that I haven't used for a long time and I have forgotten the passwords. This machine has FreeBSD-4.3 and FreeBSD-4.7 > on it, and also MS' Windows98 . I tried getting onto that system by booting with a CD-ROM which started going and gave me the following messages: > boot from ATAPI CD-ROM > CD Loader 1.2 > Building the boot loader arguments > Relocating the loader and the BTX > The system then did not output for a liitle over 5 minutes and then typed: > Starting the > and after this I waited for over 5 minutes but the system did not type anything else. Then I tried booting that CD-ROM on another system where it booted > successfully and the program on it ( FreesBIE version 2) ran and I could communicate with it. I suspect a problem with the boot loader on the first system. > Where can I get a new boot loader for that system? Since I want to get a modern FreeBSD (version 9.1 or higher), I expect that will include a new > multi-system loader on it that I can use on the old system if I can load just that. How can I load just the boot loader? Also, what is the structure of the > password files (is this on the web with a per system-version note so if it has been changed over time, I can find those I need) on those systems, and how > can I find and clear out the password for root so I can get in and set its password and then the other passwords? > Thanks in advance for your help. You'll have to wait some months for FreeBSD >= 9.1. Current release is 9.0. I believe FreeBSD has a multisystem boot loader, BootEasy/boot0. You can also look to GRUB: http://www.gnu.org/software/grub I believe this is also included in FreeBSD ports collection. If you run Linux, you can install LILO, which is capable of booting FreeBSD. I believe the password files, /etc/master.passwd, are encrypted, so you can't get the password directly from that. You would run the command passwd as root. Tom