[PLUG] File Transfers From /etc

[Carlos Konstanski]

On Sun, 8 Nov 2009, Rich Shepard wrote:

> Date: Sun, 8 Nov 2009 15:29:19 -0800 (PST)
> From: Rich Shepard <rshepard at appl-ecosys.com>
> Reply-To: "General Linux/UNIX discussion and help;	civil and on-topic"
>     <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> To: "General Linux/UNIX discussion and help;	civil and on-topic"
>     <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> Subject: Re: [PLUG] File Transfers From /etc
> 
> On Sun, 8 Nov 2009, Larry W wrote:
>
>> If this new machine is to replace nearly exactly the old PC, I'd archive
>> everything in /etc that has a modification date newer than about April
>> 2009.  I'd save apt/*, fstab (for one-off and remote mount defines),
>> backup settings, fonts, sudoers, group, hosts.*, and so on.
>
>   Well, I've been check-mated by xubuntu. I tarred the 11M /etc directory on
> the old Toshiba Tecra onto a USB flash drive (1.3M file size). When I
> connect the flash drive to the new Toshiba Satellite it shows the files
> group as 'root'. If I mount it on my server, the file is owned by
> rshepard.users, but on her new machine it's owned by pamela.root. Sigh.
>
>   I cannot copy the file to the new machine. It won't copy to her home
> directory (permission denied), and I cannot copy it to / since there is not
> yet a root password. What a hassle!
>
>   Even working in a virtual console using 'sudo' I cannot copy the file.
>
>   Is there a way for me to create a password for root so I can su to that
> account and move the file to / for untarring into /etc/?

Now you know why I poo-poo Ubuntu. I hate the whole let's-hide-root
thing.

Try "sudo bash" to get a real root shell. If that works, do a "passwd"
to set root's password.

Carlos