[ale] Unexpected password change!

[H P Ladds]

Yikes!

I tried to sign-on to my personal desktop this morning and my password
no longer works? Any thoughts on how or why this happened?

Because I am a noob/intermediate linux user, the machine is a triple
boot machine: win xp, Kubuntu (stable), and Kubuntu (development).

In short I fearlessly beat on the Kubuntu (development) machine as I
experiment and learn about linux.  I try to keep Kubuntu (stable)
operational at all times, and use the win xp for one legacy
application that just can't seem to shake.

I did mount the / partition of (stable) yesterday, to search for a
Open Office file, but I did not do any actual work.

Also yesterday, I did receive a " you have won the Pepsi Co.
sweepstakes" e-mail -- the winner of which must donate 10% of the
prize money to their favorite "charity."  No I did not respond to it
in any way.

Any help appreciated.

H. Preston