I recently installed Linux Mint on an older MacBook Pro, but I haven't used it in a few months and I've completely forgotten my login password. I've tried accessing a tty with fn-control-option-f1, but since I don't remember the password and think my account is set up as the root user, I'm stuck. I also attempted to use the recovery option by holding shift while booting, but it just takes me back to the same login screen endlessly. I'm looking for advice on how to reset my password. Unfortunately, I can't reinstall from the CD I have because the eject button isn't functioning either.
3 Answers
Another method to reset your password involves pressing esc for the GRUB menu. From there, hit 'e' to edit the boot parameters and add this after 'linux': init=/bin/bash. After that, you can type 'passwd -d root' and then reboot the system.
You can try following this YouTube tutorial to help reset your password. If you decide on a fresh install, just plug in your installation media and make sure the BIOS is set to boot from it. Your computer will start from that media, and you can wipe the drive clean during installation.
You might want to consider doing a USB installation instead; it could save you some headaches. Just make sure you get your USB booting right.
I know that's an option, but when I tried booting from the USB, it didn't work. I might have done it wrong, or the USB port could be broken.