WAS: Linux vs Unix; NOW: AT&T UNIX 386
bi...@aetherworks.com
After much consulting with AT&T and Lucent Technologies, it has been
determined that they no longer have copies of AT&T Unix 386. I have a
machine which runs our voice network which is using this OS. However,
someone has left the company and either forgotten the passwords or
changed them in the meantime (or the password file is corrupt) and root
and admin and no other known accounts can login. I have a major need
to access this machine to do the voicemail administration.
This is an Audix voice power machine. On the front it says 6386/25 WGS.
I need a boot disk to get into single user mode to fix this problem.
AT&T and Lucent neither one has been willing and/or able to help. 3
technitians have been here and cannot seem to locate a boot disk for
me. Can someone help me out?
> I believe the history (extremely abridged) goes like this:
>
> AT&T Bell Labs invents Unix for the PDP-11
> UC Berkeley gets Unix source code, starts improving it (BSD).
> AT&T Unix and Berkeley Unix diverge. Both operating systems
> are under the AT&T copyright.
> Many companies start using Unix. Proprietary operating
> systems such as Pr1mos, Data General, etc. fall by
> the wayside (as do many of the companies that made them.)
> Sun Microsystem launches, using Berkely Unix as their base.
> Intel announced 32-bit processor. Sun announces SunOS for it.
> Other companies produce x-86 Unix ports (BSDI, SCO?)
> Berkely finally re-writes last of BSD unix code, freeing Unix
> from AT&T copyrights. (BSD 4.4?)
> AT&T buys major chunk of Sun. Sun switches from BSD to AT&T.
> Efforts made in industry to reunify AT&T and BSD. (POSIX?)
> Linus Torvolds writes Unix kernel clone from scratch, posts to
net.
> By combining Linus' kernel with GNU software, a complete
operating
> system can be built, owing nothing to either AT&T or Berkely.
> Third age of mankind begins.
>
> --
> -ed falk, fa...@falconer.vip.best.com
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Before you buy.
Kenneth C Stahl
>
> Speaking of AT&T Unix, I have a major problem.
>
> After much consulting with AT&T and Lucent Technologies, it has been
> determined that they no longer have copies of AT&T Unix 386. I have a
> machine which runs our voice network which is using this OS. However,
> someone has left the company and either forgotten the passwords or
> changed them in the meantime (or the password file is corrupt) and root
> and admin and no other known accounts can login. I have a major need
> to access this machine to do the voicemail administration.
>
> This is an Audix voice power machine. On the front it says 6386/25 WGS.
>
> I need a boot disk to get into single user mode to fix this problem.
> AT&T and Lucent neither one has been willing and/or able to help. 3
> technitians have been here and cannot seem to locate a boot disk for
> me. Can someone help me out?
>
Versions that old are bound to be full of security holes so you might want
to try to take advantage of something like that.
If you can, try to identify a file that is used in the rc2.d stream that
has write privileges for "others" - in other words, a file that anyone can
modify. Insert the command:
passwd -d root
into that file and then reboot. What should happen at that point is that
the password will be removed from root. Go to the console, log in as root
and then set the root password to something you'll remember.
Also, you might want to check whether there are any programs with the suid
bit set which can be run by anyone that will allow you to shell out to a
command line. That should give you root access and you'll be able to do
what you need.
The point is, those old versions of unix are just chock full of security
holes that were either there originally or which were created by users over
the years who wanted to do things quickly but didn't think of the security
impact of changes to file privileges, etc.
Shawn Asmussen
bi...@aetherworks.com wrote:
> Speaking of AT&T Unix, I have a major problem.
>
> After much consulting with AT&T and Lucent Technologies, it has been
> determined that they no longer have copies of AT&T Unix 386. I have a
> machine which runs our voice network which is using this OS. However,
> someone has left the company and either forgotten the passwords or
> changed them in the meantime (or the password file is corrupt) and root
> and admin and no other known accounts can login. I have a major need
> to access this machine to do the voicemail administration.
>
> This is an Audix voice power machine. On the front it says 6386/25 WGS.
>
> I need a boot disk to get into single user mode to fix this problem.
> AT&T and Lucent neither one has been willing and/or able to help. 3
> technitians have been here and cannot seem to locate a boot disk for
> me. Can someone help me out?
Well, I don't know if the linux kernel has support for whatever filesystem
type that AT&T Unix 386 uses, but if it does, you might consider booting off
of a linux boot disk that has a kernel with support for that filesystem
type, mounting your hard drive partition, and then manually editing the
password file (Or the shadow file, if this OS happens to use one) and
setting the root account to use no password. Or if you know the password of
one of the unix accounts you can copy the encrypted password from that
account, effectively setting the root account to the same password. The
support for many different types of filesystems comes in pretty handy
sometimes. I've got a linux boot disk made for changing NT passwords that we
downloaded about a year ago after realizing that we had several NT boxes
that had been setup by someone who no longer worked with the company, and
nobody knew the administrator passwords.
thyrymn
1. I can't get into the machine at all. There are NO known user
accounts.
2. Linux doesn't support the FS, I already tried.
However, the good news is that yesterday AT&T finally found and fedex'd
a the first disk so I can get into single user mode.
Thanks guys,
b
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devil_man
If so build a Linux boot disk with a editor (pico) and boot the machine
from that modify the files you need and be doen with it.
L8tr
-----------------------------
bi...@aetherworks.com wrote:
> Speaking of AT&T Unix, I have a major problem.
>
> After much consulting with AT&T and Lucent Technologies, it has been
> determined that they no longer have copies of AT&T Unix 386. I have a
> machine which runs our voice network which is using this OS. However,
> someone has left the company and either forgotten the passwords or
> changed them in the meantime (or the password file is corrupt) and root
> and admin and no other known accounts can login. I have a major need
> to access this machine to do the voicemail administration.
>
> This is an Audix voice power machine. On the front it says 6386/25 WGS.
>
> I need a boot disk to get into single user mode to fix this problem.
> AT&T and Lucent neither one has been willing and/or able to help. 3
> technitians have been here and cannot seem to locate a boot disk for
> me. Can someone help me out?
>
Brian Legate
What version of AT&T Unix are you using? 1.03? I might have a boot disk.
Let me know what version.
Thx
BL