Kali Linux Android Github

Step 1: Open the Terminal

First open your kali Linux terminal.

How to change the root password in Kali Linux?

After completing the installation of the Kali Linux machine, the most highly performed task and asked question is to change the root password of your Kali Linux machine.

Note: This is not exclusive only to Kali Linux machines, you can perform the steps in any Linux machine with grub, we are using Kali as an example.

The default credentials for logging into the new Kali machine are username: “kali” and password: “kali”. This opens a session as user “kali” and to access root you need to use this user password following “sudo”.

Changing the root password is easy, but you need to ensure these few things:

What is the role of the GRUB bootloader in changing the root password?

The GRUB bootloader allows you to modify boot parameters temporarily, enabling access to a root terminal where you can change the root password. This is useful if you’ve forgotten the root password or need to change it for security reasons.

Step 3: Change the root password

Once we have switched to the root user, we need to use the following command to change the root password

Now we will be prompted to enter the new root password. Try to enter strong passwords, after that we need to enter the desired password again for confirmation.

Step 4: Change the Root Password

Once you are in the terminal session you just need to enter the command:

After applying your new password reboot your system using the following command:

Can I change the root password on any Linux system, or is it exclusive to Kali Linux?

The steps provided in the article can be applied to any Linux system that uses the GRUB bootloader, not just Kali Linux.

Step 2: Edit GRUB Entries

Now you need to edit the grub entries, so you can spawn a root session. Press “e” key to enter edit mode.

Method 2: Changing the Root Password from the Terminal

This method involves using the terminal to switch to the root user and update the password.

Step 2: Switch to Root User

Then type the following command and press Enter to switch to the root user.

After this you will be prompted to enter your user password. Enter the password and enter into your root user.

Method 1: Changing the Root Password via GRUB

This method involves editing GRUB settings to boot into a root shell with full privileges.