I have tired the above method on a number of systems, and have found that it works only about 80% of the times. So, after some more fooling around, I came about with yet another method, which till now seems to be foolproof.
Now, as you are in the root shell, launch your favorite editor (eg vi) and open /etc/passwd in it. Now, delete the encrypted text between the first two colons in the line, which contains the entry for root. This, will not create a new account with root privileges, but will change the password of the root, to null. So, basically this will get you a root account without any password. Once, you have removed the encrypted password, at the prompt, type ‘init 3’ to switch back to the normal start up or else for a graphical start up type: ‘ init 5’.
Now, say you do not want to create a new account, but want to change the root password so as to teach the system administrator a lesson. What do you do? Well, simply use the passwd command followed by the new password. As you are in the root shell, the root password will change to the new one that you supply.
OK, I get the point; Linux too is not 100% safe, so how can I make it safer? Well, you could password protect linux single. To do so, you have to launch your favorite editor like vi, and open /etc/LILO.conf. Now, add the following line, in a new line, after the first line:
Restricted password_goes_here
(The above is: Restricted followed by a space and following by the password that you choose.)
Now, save and close the editor. At the prompt then type: LILO, to execute the /etc/LILO.conf file, so as to make the changes. Now, the next time, you type linux single, at the LILO prompt, you will be asked the password that you typed in the above file. So this basically acts as another barrier for anyone trying to use the techniques described in this manual, to break into your Linux box. None, of the other functioning of the linux box will be affected.
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HACKING TRUTH: Well, Aragon (veljkop@ptt.yu ) suggested yet another method, which I would like to mention.
1.Go to directory /etc/rc.d
2.In it there should be several files if your lucky there are a bunch of files with similar names rc.1,rc.2...etc. these files are shell scripts which are run each time when the named runnlevel is started. These files are very much similar to autoexec.bat but even more complex you can mess with them to cause interesting results BUT be CAREFULL!). rc.1 is therefore the file for runlevel one
3.Backup it in a file named rc.x (or something else)
4.Copy some other runlevel (runlevel 3 is good) but make sure that the runlevel is multi-user.
5.Make a boot and root(for Slackware) disc (do not skip this) so if anything goes wrong you still have a
runlevel 1
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