I am using USB type matching Deck USB port to Pendrive USB cable. Next I plug active (with own power) usb hub and plug USB keyboard to it. I try with Pendrive too. Not worked.

I think I realize what to do. I downloaded rescue CD from Valve site. I plug only my Steam-Specific-USB-type onto normal-USB adapter. I plug usb drive with rescue system burned. I can select it from boot menu! But... I still booting. I have read it can took one hour. I wait.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/tuoidv/forgot_my_password_for_the_konsole_now_what/

Nobody told to use passwd deck command after chroot-ing. Maybe it could work?

PS: How to set password to boot menu/bios?

Last edited by Lachu on 17 Jul 2023 at 3:20 pm UTC

Can you use Polkit?
 
pkexec passwd

I perform fix. Problem was I cannot use keyboard, because I plug in LIVE USB. I created file named 'cat ' and helper. I put each command I maybe need to use into helper, open console in deck, copy name of 'cat ' and copy name of helper, place it in console in correct order. So, I can select text and copy/paste it in another terminal. I remove files passwd and shadow from overlays-etc-upper. I thought this does not works, because I type sudo passwd in normal system. So I try to solve problem for few days, without result. Soon I realized my user do not have password, so maybe just type passwd on normal system. This was working!

[With physical access one can use the grub bootloader to boot into a root shell and use passwd to change your root passwd.](https://linuxconfig.org/recover-reset-forgotten-linux-root-password)

Edit:
shift during boot
select advanced options
e
down arrow select line beginning with linux /boot/vmlinuz
rw init=/bin/bash
F10
passwd root
[your passwd]

Last edited by LoudTechie on 15 Apr 2026 at 1:37 pm UTC

Quoting: LoudTechie[With physical access one can use the grub bootloader to boot into a root shell and use passwd to change your root passwd.](https://linuxconfig.org/recover-reset-forgotten-linux-root-password)

Edit:
shift during boot
select advanced options
e
down arrow select line beginning with linux /boot/vmlinuz
rw init=/bin/bash
F10
passwd root
[your passwd]

I believe Lachu is talking about the Steam Deck.

Quoting: tmtvl

Quoting: LoudTechie[With physical access one can use the grub bootloader to boot into a root shell and use passwd to change your root passwd.](https://linuxconfig.org/recover-reset-forgotten-linux-root-password)

Edit:
shift during boot
select advanced options
e
down arrow select line beginning with linux /boot/vmlinuz
rw init=/bin/bash
F10
passwd root
[your passwd]

I believe Lachu is talking about the Steam Deck.

The steam deck indeed requires some custom shittery.
[You need to set your grub config to text-mode and maybe load ](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1675200/discussions/0/3466100515587601854/)

add GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text" to /etc/default/grub
and run sudo update-grub

and maybe you also need to load the efi from firmware, but right I'm too lazy to figure out how to do that.

Last edited by LoudTechie on 15 Apr 2026 at 11:05 pm UTC