Reset root password (VPS)

For VPS, which were purchased after 2023/05/16

In this article, you will learn how to reset the root password of a Linux VPS.

Prerequisites

The server is switched on.
You have created an image of the server in question.

Download DVD Clonezilla latest_iso

Log in to your IONOS account log in.
In the title bar, click on Menu > Server & Cloud.

Optional: Select the desired Server & Cloud contract.
Activate the desired server.
Click on DVD drive.
Select the Clonezilla latest_iso DVD.
Click on Load DVD.

Boot Clonezilla from DVD

Click on Actions > Restart.
Click on Yes.
Click on Actions > Open remote console.

The remote console opens in a new tab.
Select the desired language in the Choose language window.
In the Keyboard configuration window, select the Change keyboard layout option.
Select the option Generic PC keyboard with 105 keys.
In the Configuring keyboard-configuration window, select the keyboard layout.
Select the country of origin for the keyboard.
Select the keyboard layout.
Select the key that is to function as AltGr.
Select the Compose key.
In the Start Clonezilla window, select the Enter_shell command line prompt option.

Reset Password

To call up information on all discs, enter the following command:
user@debian:~$ sudo fdisk -l
Determine the root partition. The name of the root partition of a dedicated server with software raids is /dev/vda5, for example, depending on the operating system.
To mount the root partition, enter the following command:
user@debian:~$ sudo mount /dev/MY_ROOT_PARTITION /mnt

Replace the placeholder MY_ROOT_PARTITION with the name of the root partition of your VPS. Examples:
Ubuntu 22.04
user@debian:~$ sudo mount /dev/vda1 /mnt

Rocky Linux 8.6:
user@debian:~$ sudo mount /dev/vda5 /mnt

AlmaLinux 9:
user@debian:~$ sudo mount /dev/vda4 /mnt
For the next steps it is necessary to mount the directories /dev, /proc and /sys. To do this, enter the following commands:
user@debian:~$ sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
user@debian:~$ sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
user@debian:~$ sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
Set the mounted partition to a change root environment:
user@debian:~$ sudo chroot /mnt
To set a new password, enter the following command:
[root@debian:/]# passwd root
Enter the new password and repeat it.
To terminate the access to the root file system enter the following command:
[root@debian:/]# exit
Enter the following command:
user@debian:~$ sudo touch /.autorelabel
To ensure that all changes are correctly applied to the system files, enter the following commands:
user@debian:~$ sync
To unmount the /dev, /proc and /sys directories, enter the following commands:
user@debian:~$ sudo umount /mnt/dev
user@debian:~$ sudo umount /mnt/proc
user@debian:~$ sudo umount /mnt/sys

Eject DVD

Open the Cloud Panel.
To eject the DVD, click on Clonezilla latest_iso.
Click on Yes.
Click on Actions > Restart.
Click Yes.

The server is restarted. You can then log in to the server with the new password.