How do i figure out/input my password into terminal? I just started using Ubuntu, and I want to get Netflix on it. When I put in the command line for that, it asks for my password,but I am unable to enter it. What can I do to enter it?
-
1Just enterit and press enter.– xanguaJan 3, 2014 at 17:58
-
I tried that but it doesn't type anything i do.– Glen A AdkinsJan 3, 2014 at 18:00
-
you can't see what you type when you write your password, that is normal.– PresbiteroJan 3, 2014 at 18:01
-
1You think it doesn't type. It types but will not show anything (no asterisks or anything). This is the default for security reasons. Type your password carefully and press ENTER– NickTuxJan 3, 2014 at 18:01
-
1In Ubuntu terminal nothing seems to be happening when you enter password. This is by design. Type the password even if nothing gets typed in the terminal. Then hit enter. See askubuntu.com/questions/175624/…– user68186Jan 3, 2014 at 18:02
2 Answers
You are entering it, it just does not appear to change as the password is hidden for security reasons. Not even asterisks appear
For example, here is my 20+ character long password:
:-)
What's the Issue?
A lot of new users are thrown off by an inconsistency in the Ubuntu interface. When you enter a password in the GUI (graphical user interface, where you point and click), there is visual feedback—a dot or an asterisk for every character you type. When you enter your password in the terminal, the terminal doesn't seem to "accept" your password because it doesn't offer any visual feedback for the characters you enter.
How do I solve the "problem"?
Your password is being accepted in the terminal. You just aren't getting any visual feedback. Go ahead and type your password and hit Enter afterwards. If you typed your password correctly, there should be no problems.
Though I agree with the following comment from bodhi.zazen
It is not "an inconsistency in the Ubuntu interface", as far as I know, this is the default behavior of both sudo and su on all distros. It is unfamiliar to new users perhaps, but not an inconsistency.
-
1
-
1It is not "an inconsistency in the Ubuntu interface", as far as I know, this is the default behavior of both sudo and su on all distros. It is unfamiliar to new users perhaps, but not an inconsistency.– PantherJan 3, 2014 at 18:15
-
@bodhi.zazen you are correct, but I quoted the exact content from the page (source), I think I couldn't change this content. I will add your comment in the answer :-)– NickTuxJan 3, 2014 at 18:18
-
The inconsistency is that (some/many/most) GUIs give visual feedback - there has never been one in CLI :-))– guntbertJan 3, 2014 at 19:09