Red Hat 9 Root Password Reset on VMware

This guide explains how to reset the root password on a Red Hat 9 VM when root is enabled and you have a normal user account.

Summary

  1. Interrupt the boot process using rd.break
  2. Set SELinux to permissive with enforcing=0
  3. Remount the root filesystem as read-write
  4. Change root to /sysroot
  5. Set the root password
  6. Exit back to the initramfs and remount the root filesystem as read-only
  7. Continue the normal boot process
  8. Log in as root and restore the SELinux context for /etc/shadow

1. Restart and Access GRUB

  1. Restart your VM.
  2. Quickly press any key to stop the GRUB countdown.
  3. To send input to the BIOS/GRUB screen in VMware:
    • Press Ctrl + Alt to release the mouse/keyboard from the host.
    • Highlight the desired boot entry.
    • Press E to edit the boot options.

2. Edit Boot Options

  1. Move to the line starting with linux.
  2. Press Ctrl + E to go to the end of the line.
  3. Add the following:
rd.break enforcing=0
Bash

Press Ctrl + X to boot with these options.

3. Remount Filesystem and Change Root

Once the system boots, you will see the prompt:

switch_root:/#
Bash
  1. Remount the root filesystem read/write:
    • mount -o remount,rw /sysroot
  2. Change root into the system:
    • chroot /sysroot

Prompt now changes to:

sh-5.1#
Bash

4. Reset the Root Password

1. Run: 

passwd
Bash

2. Enter the new root password twice.

3. Exit back to the switch_root:/# prompt: 

exit
Bash

4. Remount filesystem read-only: 

mount -o remount,ro /sysroot
Bash

5. Exit emergency shell: #

exit
Bash

5. Final Steps in Normal Boot

1. Login as root or normal user, then switch to root: 

su -
Bash

2. Restore SELinux context on /etc/shadow: 

restorecon -v /etc/shadow
Bash

3. Verify SELinux mode: getenforce Output should be Permissive.

4. Set SELinux to enforcing mode: 

setenforce 1
Bash

or

setenforce Enforcing
Bash