Linux and OS X come with the makekey command installed, usually in /usr/libexec/makekey. You can use this binary to create /etc/passwd file entries of hashed passwords. To use the command, simply pipe some text into the command. Here, we’ll echo testpassword into makekey: echo testpassword | /usr/libexec/makekey And we’ll get a simple output, such as: woNH11o4mqvAc There are certainly other ways to do something like this, but when writing a script you may use in either a Linux or OS X environment, this is one place where you should have a modicum of success crossing platforms.
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Scripting in Google ChromeOS
I recently got my hands on one of those Google ChromeBooks (Cr-48). Interesting to have an operating system that is just a web browser. But, as anyone likely reading this article already knows, the graphical interface is the web browser and the operating system is still Linux. But what version? Well, let’s go on a journey together. First, you need ChromeOS. If you’ve got a ChromeBook this is a pretty easy thing to get. If not, check http://getchrome.eu/download.php for a USB or optical download that can be run live (or even in a virtual machine). Or, if you know that you’re going to be using a virtual machine, consider a pre-built…
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Mac OS X: Changing Passwords from the Command Line
passwd can change passwords. dscl can also change a password for an account (in this case the cedge account) using the passwd extension: dscl . -passwd /Users/cedge
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Reset the Admin or Root Password in Mac OS X
Forgot the admin password in Mac OS X? Well, Apple let’s you boot computers into what is known as Single User Mode. To boot a Mac into Single User Mode, boot the machine holding down Command-S. Once the system boots up, you should see a command prompt. Here, run fsck: fsck -fy Then mount the file system: mount -uw / Then reset the password using the passed command passwd <username> For example, if the user is root: passwd root When prompted, provide the desired administrative password.