Let’s consider how to reset a forgotten root password on the deployed VMware vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA). We remind that vCSA is a ready virtual machine with an installed Linux OS and configured vCenter Server and additional services. Since a VM vCenter Appliance is built on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, our task is to reset a root password in Linux.
So to force root pasword change (reset) on vCSA (in this example vCenter Appliance 5.5 is used), do the following:
- Restart vCSA virtual machine from vSphere Client
- When GRUB window appears, press SPACE to prevent startup.
- Press P to display boot settings
- Enter GRUB password Note:
- If vCSA has been installed without changing the password using Virtual Appliance Management Interface (VAMI), the default GRUB password is vmware.
- If the vCSA password has been reset using VAMI, the GRUB password corresponds to the one set in VAMI.
- Using arrow keys, select VMware vCenter Server Appliance in the menu and press E to go to boot parameters
- Select the entry with kernel boot parameters (kernel)
- Press E to edit the boot parameters
- Add init=/bin/bash to the kernel boot parameters
- Press Enter, then the GRUB menu appears
- Press B to boot the system
- In the shell window, change the root password using the command passwd root.
- Restart vCSA with reboot command.
Note. By default, in vCSA 5.5 the root password expires in 90 days. You can change this in Admin tab of vCenter Appliance (https://ip-address-vcsa:5480/) management window.
3 comments
Very useful info.
GRUB password can be cleared using following article.
http://www.unixarena.com/2016/04/reset-grub-root-password-vcsa-6-0.html
appreciate this article……use it 😉
Good Article , i was able to reset the password by the following procedure