It depends what Alpha version you are using.
You use 'passwd root' to set the password, problem is this does not create a file called passwd with the password it instead creates a shadow file with the updated credentials... Then you have to copy shadow (dont remember the directory it is created in, check nvram) from one of the directories and rename it passwd
You use 'passwd root' to set the password, problem is this does not create a file called passwd with the password it instead creates a shadow file with the updated credentials... Then you have to copy shadow (dont remember the directory it is created in, check nvram) from one of the directories and rename it passwd