DeepSurface: Resetting the DSADMIN password

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Resetting the DSADMIN password
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The DeepSurface RiskAnalyzer is built on the Linux operating system, using Ubuntu 20.04, Focal Fossa. As such, the resetting of any user’s password on that platform when the root password is unknown requires booting the system into what is known as ‘single user mode’.

You must have direct access to the keyboard and console attached to the DeepSurface appliance, or equivalent ‘console’ access to effect this procedure. It cannot be done over the network via SSH.

1. The first step is to reboot into the GRUB menu. GRUB is the ‘Grand Unified Boot’ loader that marshals up the Ubuntu kernel and provides the basic bootstrapping code that allows the file system and other Ubuntu utilities to run. Keep pressing SHIFT as the system boots for the GRUB menu to show up. Next, while your Ubuntu boot menu is highlighted press 'e' to edit the Grub’s boot prompt.

2. Using your navigational arrows locate the line containing the following string ro quiet splash $vt_handoff.

3. Replace the string ro quiet splash $vt_handoff with the following text: rw init=/bin/bash. Once you have made the change press F10 or Ctrl + x to initiate the regular boot sequence.

4. After the successful boot you should be welcomed with a root’s shell without a need to enter the root password

5. Confirm that the root (/) partition is mounted as rw. To do so execute the command mount | grep -w /. You will see the status of the root partition as (rw, realtime) as shown below:

6. At this point we are ready to reset the dsadmin password. To do so simply execute the command passwd dsadmin and follow the prompts.
7. All done. Your dsadmin password should be now reset. All that remains is to reboot your DeepSurface appliance. To do so execute the command exec /sbin/init.