Locked out of SSH

I have a PogoPlug series 4 running stock firmware. I was attempting to install Optware and inadvertently screwed up the /etc/passwd file so cannot login to SSH any more for the root account. I dont have any other user accounts on the device. My.pogoplug.com continues to work fine - I am wondering if there is anyway I can boot of SATA or USB and revert the passwd file on the device?

I don't know Optware, so maybe I miss the real problem.

Concerning your /etc/passwd:

~ # grep root /etc/passwd
root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash

I think you have the same.

I assume you have /etc/shadow - this is the place where the passwords are stored, encrypted and saltet. A line consists of information separted by colons (":"). First is the uid ("root" in this case), a colon, the encrypted password, a colon, more information, etc. Make a backup of the file and make the line of root starting like this by erasing the encrypted password between the colons:

root::...

"..." represents the rest of the line, unaltered.

By doing this, you set an empty password for root.

Another idea: cd to the mounted filesystem and chroot there. Google a bit on how to set environment correctly then call passwd to set a new passwd for root.

There are no silly questions

In this case, that wont work because it is on the NAND.

Problem is I dont have access to run anything on the pogoplug right now. My SSH login fails since it cannot spawn a shell.

killerhippy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't know Optware, so maybe I miss the real
> problem.
>
> Concerning your /etc/passwd:
>
> ~ # grep root /etc/passwd
> root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
>
> I think you have the same.
>
> I assume you have /etc/shadow - this is the place
> where the passwords are stored, encrypted and
> saltet. A line consists of information separted by
> colons (":"). First is the uid ("root" in this
> case), a colon, the encrypted password, a colon,
> more information, etc. Make a backup of the file
> and make the line of root starting like this by
> erasing the encrypted password between the
> colons:
>
> root::...
>
> "..." represents the rest of the line, unaltered.
>
> By doing this, you set an empty password for
> root.
>
> Another idea: cd to the mounted filesystem and
> chroot there. Google a bit on how to set
> environment correctly then call passwd to set a
> new passwd for root.