sudo passwd not working

[jetman36]

I have knoppix installed from my live CD that i downloaded off the internet and i can't change the root password. it says that my account name isnt in the "sudoers" list or something like that. please help me, i realy want to use samba!

[dosdragon]

open a root window
type
kwrite /etc/sudoers

make a copy of root and change the user name to you.
save it

you can now issue sudo commands.

[jetman36]

what do u mean "open a root window"?
(yes, im a noob!)

[Harry Kuhman]

I have knoppix installed from my live CD....

what do u mean "open a root window"?
(yes, im a noob!)
What's wrong with this picture? Knoppix is not intended for Install, best left for experienced users, yet here we have someone who ignores that advice and then posts that that are a noob and don't even know what "open a root window" means! If ever there was a time to post my stock answer #2 (http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/User:Harry_Kuhman), this is it. Of course there is also a slim hope that they don't know what Instaled means, but I'm not counting on that.

[jetman36]

I'm well aware of the problem with installing knoppix to the hdd, i just thought their might be a fix to my problem, thats all. and i know your a moderator, so not to sound mean or disrespectful but, have you heard of the term "flaming"?

[Harry Kuhman]

I'm well aware of the problem with installing knoppix to the hdd, i just thought their might be a fix to my problem, thats all. and i know your a moderator, so not to sound mean or disrespectful but, have you heard of the term "flaming"?
Perhaps I am over critical of those who decide to install Knoppix, but a considerable amount of the questions on this subject (many repeats) seem to be from people who did see the warning but decided just to go ahead anyway, but then expect others to fix the problems that come up. And I do think you are correct, this problem not only has a fix but a simple fix. But if you don't have the experience to either solve this problem yourself or to resolve it when told to open a window/shell as root and edit a file, you are likely going to be making a lot of posts on issues that come up after a hard disk install. As to my statement that you might not know the meaning of Install, I honestly wasn't sure that you really had installed it; we have had people here use the term "Install" when they just mean that they booted the CD. If you took my response as flaming then I owe you an appology. I do hope however that you reconsider that the Knoppix Live CD is best used as a Live CD. Recent versions of Debian install very cleanly without a lot of technical questions, and would be a much better choice for both the average user and anyone who considers themselves a noob.

I don't install Knoppix, but look in your menu and see if there isn't a root terminal window there. If it has managed to vanish from the hard disk install then boot the CD or DVD again and it will be there and you can use that version to edit the file as instructed above.

[jetman36]

Thank you for your help, i will try what you said. cause for some reason the root window did dissapear. but just to check and make sure, would ther be something wrong with my install if i try useing the root window through the nomal text window and it saying "run mode 1 error"?

[Harry Kuhman]

Thank you for your help, i will try what you said. cause for some reason the root window did dissapear. but just to check and make sure, would ther be something wrong with my install if i try useing the root window through the nomal text window and it saying "run mode 1 error"?
I have no idea what that error is trying to tell you. And, of course, being a grouchy old fart with a lot of biases I think there is inherently something wrong with any Knoppix install, so you almost seem to be baiting me with that question. And please don't forget, while I do have the moderator label stuck by my name, I'm not here working; I'm first just another user looking to trade information. Unless I'm killing spam or moving posts out of forums where they don't belong or bugging people about using "I'm a noob" subject lines, I'm just posting as a fellow user, not as a moderator.