Grub and root password Bonked at same time!

[sqlpython]

My regular Thinkpad a Lenovo SL410 has a large HD so I keep 4 Linuxes installed on it. You can see this in my Signature.
Today I went into Kubuntu 10.04 LTS install which I don't do normally and had 393 Updates waiting for me.
So, I bit the bullet and Updated the packages. One of the Packages was Grub PC but as I use the Sabayon Grub I wasn't expecting Kubuntu to Install it's Grub on the MBR. Well it did........
Next step I booted the Sabayon Live 5.5 CD and used the Handy option (thank You) to reinstall the Grub.
Normally I would have done so from the CLI.. but I wanted to see the CD work for me.
When I rebooted after the Sabayon DVD had finished reinstalling GRUB I was faced with the Usual Ubuntu 10 additional GRUB entries..what an annoyance.
Next I logged into the Sabayon Desktop as user Sqlpython hit Alt-F2 and typed kdesu kwrite
I was asked for my root passwork BUT it was not accepted..
I typed and retyped carefully but somehow it had changed.. Come to find out it had not changed but was BLANK
In a console I typed su and when Asked for a password: I simply hit the enter key and I was root..
So I ran the command passwd and reestablished my Original root password...
Wereby I ran
kdesu kwrite
and edited /boot/grub/grub.cfg to clean up the Grub Menu..

Has anyone ever encountered this behavior..?
Not so much another OS overwriting the MBR with another Grub but
...the Blanking of root password after using the Sabayon CD to reinstall Grub...?

[Fitzcarraldo]

Yes, it's happened to a few SL users in the past. For example:

root password changed...?! [Solved]

No Root Password [Solved]

I have no idea why messing with GRUB 2 would affect the root password.

File a bug report, perhaps?

[sqlpython]

Thanks....
I didn't word my search effectively.

Yep, that is what happened to me a Blank root password.
Noting that the Grub was a reinstall from the DVD and not an Grub update.

[ancient mariner]

This has just happened to me. I recovered my system by reinstalling GRUB, and my root password no longer worked through the GUI. At the CL when I entered SU then my root password didn't work, but leaving password blank did.

I was able to restore the password through passwd.

[sqlpython]

Seems you had the same experience and fixed with the same solution as I.

[genfool]

I have also seen this, for me though, usually the hostname also gets reset to sabayon, I boot and see my hostname changed, I know I also need to reset password.

About grub, I would suggest you remove one, boot kubuntu and remove grub from it, or remove sabayons grub.
You only want one grub installed.

[sqlpython]

Your right..
Though, I do only have one installed.
The Kubuntu Update reinstalled Grub as I once had a Kubuntu GRUB installed..

[Thev00d00]

Is a package updating /etc/shadow or /etc/passwd? This is quite strange.

[sqlpython]

Sorry, I hadn't checked and now too late..
This is what I can give you as to file size and dates.
As you can see both havea backup.. now that they have been modified.

sqlpython@sabayon ~ $ ls -l /etc/pass*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2326 Jul 6 01:43 /etc/passwd
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2250 Jun 27 15:11 /etc/passwd-
sqlpython@sabayon ~ $ ls -l /etc/shad*
-rw------- 1 root root 1306 Jul 6 01:43 /etc/shadow
-rw------- 1 root root 1286 Jun 27 15:11 /etc/shadow-
sqlpython@sabayon ~ $