Forgot Password manjaro and why not working?

Password recovery in Manjaro Linux can be a straightforward process, but it requires a basic understanding of the system’s security layers. Unlike other operating systems, Linux distributions like Manjaro use a unique user and root password system, where the root account holds administrative privileges, and user accounts are often restricted. Knowing the difference between these accounts is critical when attempting to recover a forgotten password.

Methods for Resetting Password in Manjaro

There are several methods to reset a forgotten password in Manjaro. These methods include using single-user mode, accessing the system through a live USB, and leveraging the chroot environment. Below, each method is explained with step-by-step instructions and code snippets.

Using Single-User Mode

This method allows you to boot into a minimal mode with root privileges, where you can reset the password.

Steps:

1. Reboot the system and access the GRUB menu. If the GRUB menu doesn’t appear automatically, press and hold the Shift key during startup.
2. Select the boot entry you usually use, then press e to edit it.
3. Find the line starting with linux and ending with quiet.
4. Replace quiet with single or add init=/bin/bash to the end of this line.
5. Press Ctrl + X or F10 to boot into single-user mode.

Once in single-user mode:

# mount -o remount,rw /
# passwd username

Replace username with the actual username. After entering the new password, type:

# sync
# reboot

This will reset the password and reboot the system with the new password.

Resetting Password via Manjaro Live USB

This method requires a Manjaro live USB to access the system and reset the password from a chroot environment.

Steps:

1. Insert the Manjaro live USB and boot into the live environment.
2. Open the terminal and list the disks to identify the root partition:

   lsblk

3. Mount the root partition to access the system files. Replace /dev/sdXn with your actual root partition (e.g., /dev/sda1):

   sudo mount /dev/sdXn /mnt

4. Mount essential filesystems:

   sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
   sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
   sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys

5. Change the root to the mounted system:

   sudo chroot /mnt

    

6. Now reset the password:

   passwd username

   Replace username with the actual username. Enter the new password twice when prompted.

7. Exit chroot and unmount the filesystems:

   exit
   sudo umount /mnt/dev
   sudo umount /mnt/proc
   sudo umount /mnt/sys
   sudo umount /mnt

    

8. Reboot the system:

   sudo reboot

    

Using Chroot from Another Linux Installation

If you have another Linux installation on your machine, you can access the Manjaro filesystem and reset the password from there.

Steps:

1. Boot into the other Linux installation.
2. Identify and mount the Manjaro root partition:

   lsblk
   sudo mount /dev/sdXn /mnt

3. Bind the necessary filesystems:

   sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
   sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
   sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys

4. Change the root environment:

   sudo chroot /mnt

5. Reset the password:

   passwd username

6. Exit chroot and unmount the filesystems:

   exit
   sudo umount /mnt/dev
   sudo umount /mnt/proc
   sudo umount /mnt/sys
   sudo umount /mnt

7. Reboot the system.

Why It Might Not Work?

Resetting a password in Manjaro may occasionally fail due to various technical reasons. Understanding these potential issues can help in resolving them efficiently and completing the password recovery process. Here are some common reasons why password reset attempts might not work:

1. Incorrect Commands or Syntax Errors

One of the most frequent issues is incorrect syntax when typing commands, especially in the terminal.

Solution: Carefully check the commands you’re entering for typos or syntax errors. Ensure that commands like mount, chroot, and passwd are typed accurately. For instance, the command passwd should not have any extra spaces or symbols.

Example:

passwd username

If there’s an error message, review the command and try again.

2. Mounting Permissions Issues in Live USB Mode

If you’re using a live USB to access the system and reset the password, you may encounter issues with permissions when mounting the system’s root partition.

Solution: Ensure the root partition is correctly mounted with read and write permissions. Use the following command to remount it with read/write access:

mount -o remount,rw /mnt

If you continue facing issues, check if the live USB has administrative privileges enabled, as some live environments may restrict certain actions.

3. GRUB Not Loading Single-User Mode

Sometimes, editing the GRUB bootloader to access single-user mode may not work as expected.

Solution: Double-check the changes made to the GRUB configuration during boot. Ensure that you replaced quiet with single or added init=/bin/bash at the end of the line. After making changes, make sure to press Ctrl + X or F10 to boot with the modified configuration.

4. Encryption-Related Limitations

If the partition is encrypted with LUKS or similar encryption methods, accessing the system in a way that allows password reset might be restricted.

Solution: If encryption is enabled, you will first need to unlock the encrypted partition. Use a command like:

cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/sdXn encrypted_partition

Replace /dev/sdXn with the encrypted partition’s identifier. Once the partition is unlocked, continue with mounting and accessing the root filesystem.

5. User Account Not Recognized

Sometimes, attempting to reset the password fails because the specified username does not exist or is mistyped.

Solution: Use the following command to list all available usernames in the chroot environment:

ls /home

Ensure you’re entering the correct username with the passwd command. If you’re resetting the root password, simply type passwd without specifying a username.

6. Issues Exiting Chroot Environment

If you are unable to exit the chroot environment cleanly, it might affect subsequent steps or the ability to unmount the filesystems.

Solution: When you’re finished with password recovery, make sure to exit chroot properly:

exit

Then, unmount the partitions in the correct order. Failing to do so can cause errors on reboot. For example:

sudo umount /mnt/dev
sudo umount /mnt/proc
sudo umount /mnt/sys
sudo umount /mnt

cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/sdXn encrypted_partition

sudo mount /dev/mapper/encrypted_partition /mnt