can't log into ubuntu name and password rejected

I'm using the ubuntu 7 distro disc to log this bug/ virus or whatever has
rejected my username and password at login

Thank you for taking the time to report this issue. Examining the information you have given us, this does not appear to be a bug report so we are closing it and converting it to a question in the support tracker. We appreciate the difficulties you are facing, but it would make more sense to raise problems you are having in the support tracker at https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu if you are uncertain if they are bugs. For help on reporting bugs, see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#When%20not%20to%20file%20a%20bug.

ok boot to the drive you installed linux to, when grub shows up press ESC and then select recovery mode for your latest kernel.

Then select root, you now have a root terminal

you can now type

passwd <tpe username you log in with here>

and set the password to something easy like 12345

then type

shutdown -r now

and the system will reboot. You can nowlog in to an X session as yourself using 12345 (or whatever you used) then head over to user control to set the password properly (use numbers initially as different keyboard layouts may act different in a gui logon)

You now have your password set, you can log off andonto test.

BTW.

I'd lose the whole "Locked out of my own pc by damned Linux.Worse than WindersXP" attitude. You sound like a child.

Thank you so much mr. parsnip.
It worked- eventually - and - Yes, I am a child with Linux.
I bought a beautiful 'Linux Format Magazine' glossy magazine and DVD for 10 UK pounds that only proclaimed the virtues of Ubuntu. Naively, like a child, I believed what I read, mainly because people like Nelson Mandala was used in the promotion of Ubuntu.
Its very frustrating to find my expectations of having bought into a fine reliable OS - that isn't !

What I'm slowly becoming accustomed to is that I've got myself involved in a (perhaps well-meaning?) development team, that I am expected to joyfully participate in.
  I am not a user of a reliable and completed Operating System that I can forget about whilst I get on with my work...

I've had many crashes lockups and a complete Ubuntu re-install. This reported bug is the final one of a week of sound and video problems that caused me to keep uninstalling and re-installing software in a vain attempt to fix. Even Firefox is locking up until I clear all my recent tabs and start again.

Anyhow- hope you appreciate my little grizzle.
I expect I'll be reporting some more problems for you to resolve for me.
Thanks anyhow for all your help here and the rebuke!
cheers
dave

Yeah Linux format is pretty cool. I am UK based too :)

I strongly suggest you run:

sudo passwd -l root

to disable root, and stick to sudo.

If you want a root console use:

sudo -i

and type exit when you are done. This is a security feature as root is common on all *nix systems. If the account is disabled there is zero percent chance of capturing the account. The attacker will need to guess your username too.

Well thats clear as mud, innit?
what is sudo and why stick to it?
What is and how do I disable root?
Why would I want a root console?
Which is the marvelous security feature, 'root' or 'sudo'?
Who is the attacker?
Is this what happened to my amazingly secure linux system- it got attacked?
From whence commeth the attacker? - a dowloaded mp3, flv, website or what?

Firestarter has been manually started every time I boot.
I suppose I have to get seriously geeked to work it, right...?

sheesh....

sudo is a way for users to run apps with elevated priveledges for one shot, allowing all other apps to be ran as user and therefore more securely as users access is restricted.

To disable root run:
sudo passwd -l root

root is a user account. sudo is a program

The attacker is someone trying to compromise your system via any means available. Running all apps as user reduce the access the attatcker will gain as well as the damage that can be done.

The attacks can be circumvented processes or malicious code running via flash / jave etc or indeed embedded into files

Firestarter does not need ot run at startup, iptables is the firewall and firestarter is merely a gui to help configure iptables.

Anything else you'd like me to clear up?