Terminal not responding to my password

Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Hello,

I have been a mac user for quite sometime now and have recently bought an iMac 27inch. It's the first time i have tried out OS Lion and I have been having problems with Terminal. The thing is that when i enter a sudo command terminal asks me for my password. I know that Terminal doesn't type in the password, you just need to type it in your keyboard and hit the return key and that's supposed to work.

I have tried everything and don't know what to do anymore. I have tried making my self a root password and entering it and it still doesn't work. I have also changed my admin password and it still doesn't work. I have even tried just pressing the return key without typing in anything and Terminal continues to say that its an invalid password or something of some sort.

Can anyone can tell me what to do? It's kind of an emergency because i need it to install an application that i need for work!!! So, any ideas are welcome!

Thanks!
 

vansmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
19,924
Reaction score
559
Points
113
Location
Queensland
Your Mac's Specs
Mini (2014, 2018, 2020), MBA (2020), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone 13 Pro Max, Watch (S6)
As you correctly note, password prompts will not print back the keys you're typing for security purposes. Despite this, every key pressed is registered.

The password you need to use is your user password. You mention that you're using a root and admin password - those won't work unless you are one of those users. If you are entering your password, it's possible that your sudoers file is improperly formatted. The problem here is that fix it, you have to have elevated privileges which you can get by using sudo. Can you tell us what the contents of /etc/sudoers is? You'll have to use root privileges to view it.
 
OP
C
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Thanks for replying so quickly!

The thing is that I am using the administrator user and password when i enter it in Terminal. I have also tried changing the root password through the same user and putting it in Terminal and it still doesn't work. This is what Terminal displays me when i enter the command and password:

sudo gdb /Volumes/'Autodesk'/xforce2012.app/Contents/MacOS/x-force
Password:
sudo: gdb: command not found
 

vansmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
19,924
Reaction score
559
Points
113
Location
Queensland
Your Mac's Specs
Mini (2014, 2018, 2020), MBA (2020), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone 13 Pro Max, Watch (S6)
That's not a sudo problem - this error is telling you that gdb isn't installed. To get gdb, you'll need the Xcode developer tools (get them from the App Store). Once those are installed, go to Xcode > Preferences > Downloads and install the "Command Line Tools."
 
OP
C
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
1
THANK YOU SO MUCH! You are a lifesaver! I am totally grateful!

I had already installed Xcode but never realized that i had to do that download for it to work.

Thanks again!!!
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Manhattan, NY
Terminal not responding to admin password

That's not a sudo problem - this error is telling you that gdb isn't installed. To get gdb, you'll need the Xcode developer tools (get them from the App Store). Once those are installed, go to Xcode > Preferences > Downloads and install the "Command Line Tools."

I am having the same type of problem. I am putting my admin pw into the terminal and I know it is correct, but it is not working.

I put in su - (enter)
Password: xxxxx (enter)

I get this:

Password:
su: Sorry

does anyone understand this?
Thank you.
 

vansmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
19,924
Reaction score
559
Points
113
Location
Queensland
Your Mac's Specs
Mini (2014, 2018, 2020), MBA (2020), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone 13 Pro Max, Watch (S6)
Root access is disabled by default in OS X. Any reason you can't just use sudo?
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Manhattan, NY
Root access is disabled by default in OS X. Any reason you can't just use sudo?


Just ignorance! I got the commands I tried from someone who I think knows a bit more about pc's. How would I use the sudo command on a mac?

Thank you for your quick reply :)
 

vansmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
19,924
Reaction score
559
Points
113
Location
Queensland
Your Mac's Specs
Mini (2014, 2018, 2020), MBA (2020), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone 13 Pro Max, Watch (S6)
Just put sudo in front of any command you want to execute with elevated privileges.

I want to caution you here - elevating privileges can be a dangerous game if you don't know what's happening and/or you don't trust the source. Be careful.
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Manhattan, NY
ah..good advice, I think. Thank you. I might want to rethink making any changes here.
 

vansmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
19,924
Reaction score
559
Points
113
Location
Queensland
Your Mac's Specs
Mini (2014, 2018, 2020), MBA (2020), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone 13 Pro Max, Watch (S6)
What are you trying to accomplish? We can certainly verify any suggestions.
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Manhattan, NY
I am going to be building a new website (on a new host) for a site that already exists. When the new site is finished, I will point the domain. In the meantime, I do not have a domain. I was told to go into the terminal to do something with the host file, so I could work on the site without the domain.

Below is the instruction I was given. Does it look right to you?


To begin, open a new 'Terminal' window

type: su - (without the : mark)

enter your admin or root password

type: cd /private/etc/

type: vim hosts

use your arrow and page up/down keys to get to the end of the file

hit your 'i' key (just the letter, not the ' marks)

67.225.246.179 atlanticparasail.com

hit escape

type: :wq (make sure to include the : mark, as this writes and quits the
editor)

then, bring up your atlanticparasail.com site in a new browser window



Thank you.:)
 

Raz0rEdge

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
15,745
Reaction score
2,071
Points
113
Location
MA
Your Mac's Specs
2022 Mac Studio M1 Max, 2023 M2 MBA
The instructions are fine..you would just change it to "sudo vim hosts" and keep the rest the same..

Also, you can always just write down the IP address on a note near your computer and type it directly into the browser..

All you are doing here is making it so that you don't have to remember the IP address..
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Manhattan, NY
Thank you! Okay, that clarifies what they were having do. I had no idea it was just so I would not have to type the IP address in each time :Blushing:
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top