Lost shell password: change user password from root

Question

I recently accidentally forgot my user password to my shell. I know the root password. How do I change the user password?

I figure it's something like

$su root
$passwd -[something] username

but I can't get it to work. Halp pls?

Answer 1

just "passwd mechko" I think, if you're logged as root ? tried it ? as existing password use roots or mechko's (in this case roots)

Answer 2

Old school, more powerful than necessary method:as root empty the password field for that user in /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow. Then you can login and change the password.