help with new OS

Fri, 22 Mar 2002 17:00:50 -0500

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I have two machines with Linux running and I am a complete newbie to Lunix.  Really a newbie, assume nothing about any prior knowledge.  I need only one machine to learn more about Linux.  One is running just fine, the other is another story. I cannot login.  I do not know the password for this machine and need to log in to the machine since I want to install a different OS.  Is there a way to get to the area where I can login and start to install the new OS?  Thanks.  Jack
<<<<

If you mean you're going to install it from scratch,
then just blow it away. You install from a bootable
CD (usually).

If you mean you are upgrading the system from a prior release, you can probably still do that, although you might
have trouble mounting the filesystems after booting off the CD if you didn't shutdown cleanly, and you'll definitely
have a problem getting back on the system after the
upgrade. One way or another you or someone else has
to know the password. (There *are* ways around that,
but that's a discussion for another thread.)

Lynn David Newton
Phoenix, Arizona

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<DIV><STRONG>I have two machines with Linux running and I am a complete newbie 
to Lunix.&nbsp; Really a newbie, assume nothing about any prior knowledge.&nbsp; 
I need only one machine to learn more about Linux.&nbsp; One is running just 
fine, the other is another story.</STRONG><STRONG> I cannot login.&nbsp; I do 
not know the password for this machine and need to log in to the machine since I 
want to install a different OS.&nbsp; Is there a way to get to the area where I 
can login and start to install the new OS?&nbsp; Thanks.&nbsp; 
Jack</STRONG></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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