On Sat, Oct 06, 2007 at 11:30:42AM -0700, tom arnall wrote: > Realistically, is there any way I can fix my system so I can log in as root, > without reinstalling the OS? >
Here is the question: lets say you fix the initial problem and CAN log in as root. What next? You have a few hundred files with the wrong permission. Q: How do you fix this? A: with great pains! On an average unix system, you can access the data or configuration by using a live cd or similar, then back that up. Now that you have the important data like the output of 'dpkg --get-selections´, you now know what packages to install when you reformat the partition! So you do a base install, use 'dpkg --set-selections', do the other bits to install the rest of the packages, and in about 1/2 a day, you can be back to a reasonable state. The other way is to fiddle with a few hundred files until you get an only mildly broken system. At least that is the way I look at it, YMMV. K -- | .''`. == Debian GNU/Linux == | my web site: | | : :' : The Universal |mysite.verizon.net/kevin.mark/| | `. `' Operating System | go to counter.li.org and | | `- http://www.debian.org/ | be counted! #238656 | | my keyserver: subkeys.pgp.net | my NPO: cfsg.org | |join the new debian-community.org to help Debian! | |_______ Unless I ask to be CCd, assume I am subscribed _______|
