Setup guide

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Chapter 4-
Configuring System Settings
2) Title: Open Firmware: Password Not Recognized when it Contains the
Letter “U”; Article ID: 107666; URL:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107666
Even if a single-user mode boot is successfully initiated by changing the Open
Firmware settings, the system can still prevent automatic root login. To require
entry of a root password during a single-user mode boot, the console and ttys must
be marked as insecure in /etc/ttys. In fact, the system will require entry of a
special root password, stored in /etc/master.passwd. If this remains unset as
recommended, then it will be impossible for a user to enter the root password and
complete the single-user boot, even if the Open Firmware password protection was
bypassed. To perform this configuration:
1. Log in as an administrator.
2. Start the Terminal application, located in /Applications/Utilities.
3. At the prompt, issue the command:
cd /etc
4. To create a backup copy of /etc/ttys, issue the command:
sudo cp ttys ttys.old
5. To edit the ttys file as root, issue the command:
sudo pico ttys
6. Replace occurrences of the word “secure” with the word “insecure” in the
configuration lines of the file. Any line that does not begin with a “#” is a
configuration line.
7. Exit, saving changes.
Only if the ability to boot into single-user mode is operationally required should a
password be provided for the root account in /etc/master.passwd. To provide
this password:
1. Log in as an administrator.
2. Start the Terminal application, located in /Applications/Utilities.
3. At the prompt, issue the command:
cd /etc
4. To edit the master password file, issue the command:
sudo pico master.passwd
5. Within the editor, delete the asterisk following the word “
root”.