If you are logged in as root and you don’t know the root password then you can follow the steps. You can easy to change your root password. 

Step 1. Back-up your current shadow file.

[root@hostripples ~]# cp /etc/shadow /etc/shadowbkup

Step 2. Change the current root password

[root@hostripples ~]# passwd root

Changing password for user root.
New UNIX password:
BAD PASSWORD: it is based on a dictionary word
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.

Step 3. Switch to a local user to test whether ‘your’ root password is working or not.

[root@hostripples ~]# su – localuser 
[localuser@hostripples ~]$ su – root
Password:
[root@hostripples ~]#

Yes, you are now logged in as root with ‘your’ password.

Step 4. Restore the previous root password

[root@hostripples ~]# mv /etc/shadowbkup /etc/shadow
mv: overwrite `/etc/shadow’? y
[root@hostripples ~]#

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This trick is meant for students and kindly do not misuse.

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