How to Boot to a Single-User State to Resolve a Bad root Shell or Password Problem

1. Assume the root role.

   See Using Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Securing Users and Processes in Oracle Solaris 11.2 .

2. Depending on the platform, do one of the following:
   • For SPARC platforms:
     1. Bring the system to the ok PROM prompt.

        # init 0

     2. Boot the system to a single-user state.

        ok boot -s

   • For x86 platforms:
     1. Reboot a running system with the –p option of the reboot command.

        # reboot -p

     2. When the GRUB menu is displayed, select the appropriate boot entry, then type e to edit that entry.
     3. Using the arrow keys, navigate to the $multiboot line, then type –s at the end of the line.
   • To exit the GRUB edit menu and boot the entry you just edited, press Control-X. If you have a system with UEFI firmware, and you are not using a serial console, pressing F10 also boots the entry.
3. Correct the shell entry in the /etc/passwd file.

   # vi /etc/password

4. Reboot the system.