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How delete root login password

download the GParted live boot iso and create a CD or USB Stick
reboot server and boot from iso
the GParted window show the partitions on the server
/dev/sda5 is the first esxi partition
open a terminal
enter following command to change on root:
```
sudo -s
```
create a subdir in the mount dir /mnt:
```
mkdir /mnt/esxi
```
mount sda5 (or maybe a other partition):
```
mount /dev/sda5 /mnt/esxi
```
find the state.tgz in mounted dir:
```
ls /mnt/esxi/st*
```
copy state.tgz to temp dir:
```
cp /mnt/esxi/state.tgz /tmp
```
change to tmp dir:
```
cd /tmp
```

unpack state.tgz:

tar xzf state.tgz>
  - now you can see the content of the file in /tmp \\ {{:vmware:esxi5:gparted-esxi-unpack.png?direct&400|}} 
  - unpack the local.tgz file: <code bash>tar xzf local.tgz

change to etc dir:
```
cd etc
```
open shardow file with vi:
```
vi shadow
```
delete the password hash after the root account (press i, go to the : and delete all the chars until the next : )
save file and exit (save with ESC + qw + ENTER)
go one dir up:
```
cd ..
```
pack the new local.tgz:
```
tar czf local.tgz etc
```
pack the new state.tgz:
```
tar czf state.tgz local.tgz
```

backup the original state.tgz:

cp /mnt/esxi/state.tgz /mnt/esxi/state.tgz-old

copy the new state.tgz:
```
cp /tmp/state.tgz /mnt/esxi
```
unmount esxi partition:
```
umount /mnt/esxi
```

How delete root login password

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