Guide to Resetting Forgotten Jenkins ID Password

Resetting a forgotten Jenkins ID password is a common requirement for system administrators and developers. This guide will walk you through the steps to reset the password manually using the configuration file approach. We will cover how to modify the configuration, disable password security, and set a new password for your Jenkins user.

Understanding the Configuration File

The configuration file for Jenkins is located at /var/lib/jenkins/config.xml. This file contains all the necessary settings and information required by Jenkins to function. To reset the password, we need to modify this file.

Step 1: Access the Configuration File

To edit the config.xml file, use the vi text editor. Open the file with the following command:

sudo vi /var/lib/jenkins/config.xml

Step 2: Locate the UseSecurity Tag

Once the file is open, perform a search for the useSecurity string. To do this in the Vim editor, press ESC, then enter /useSecurity. The line you are looking for will resemble:

true

Step 3: Modify the UseSecurity Tag

Press i to enter Vim's insert mode. Modify the value between the useSecurity tags and set the value to false. The line should now resemble:

false

Once you have made this change, press ESC to return to normal mode, then type wq! to save your changes and exit Vim.

Step 4: Restart Jenkins Service

After saving the changes, restart the Jenkins service to apply the new configuration:

sudo systemctl restart jenkins

During this process, we disable password authentication, which temporarily disables the existing security settings. This step is necessary to allow you to log in and set a new password.

Step 5: Set a New Password

Once the service has restarted, log into the Jenkins web console. You can access the web console by navigating to the Jenkins URL in your web browser. From there, click on the "New User" or "Add User" option and create a new user, or use an existing account and follow the steps to change the password.

Note that since this process disables security temporarily, it is a good practice to set a strong, secure password and re-enable security as soon as possible. This helps to maintain the integrity and security of your Jenkins environment.

Conclusion

Resetting a forgotten Jenkins ID password can be a straightforward process if you know where to look. By following these steps, you can easily regain access to your Jenkins instance. Always remember to follow best security practices, such as setting strong passwords and enabling security features as soon as possible after you have regained access.