kdm...y root cannot login?

rextor · 08-01-2005, 06:05 AM

i have RHEL4 WS on my pc. by default it has gdm running. i changed it to kdm. but i was not able to login as root. so i had to revert to gdm. i use kde. but using gdm does not give a shutdown/reboot option here. how do i turn the 'root' login option ON in kdm?

Simon Bridge · 08-01-2005, 06:37 AM

Check to make sure /opt/kde3/share/config/kdm/kdmrc is a symlink to /etc/opt/kde3/share/config/kdm/kdmrc.

Make sure to set the following in /etc/opt/kde3/share/config/kdm/kdmrc
in section [X-*-Core]: AllowRootLogin=true

Those files may not be in exactly those places for you. This was for SuSE. For my system (FC4) kdmrc was in /etc/X11/xdm/ and the symlink was /etc/kde/kdm/kdmrc

rextor · 08-03-2005, 12:29 PM

well simon..its not working.
/etc/X11/xdm/kdmrc was the file

it was
# Core config for all displays
[X-*-Core]:

and i changed it to
# Core config for all displays
[X-*-Core]: AllowRootLogin=true

Simon Bridge · 08-04-2005, 03:51 AM

That's the wrong one ... the line you want starts: "AllowRootLogin=" Use your editors "find" function. In my system it was line 211, the surrounding lines read like this:

Code:

# Default is false
AutoReLogin=false
# Allow root logins? Default is true
AllowRootLogin=false
# Allow to log in, when user has set an empty password? Default is true
AllowNullPasswd=true
# Who is allowed to shut down the system. This applies both to the
# greeter and to the command FiFo. Default is All

rextor · 08-05-2005, 01:43 PM

still no success Simon. here's what the surounding lines in my kdmrc file look like now..

[X-*-Core]
AllowNullPasswd=true
AllowRootLogin=true
AllowShutdown=Root
AutoReLogin=false
....

btw i am setting kdm by putting preferred=kdm in /etc/X11/prefdm file. is this the correct way ? (it used to work in RH9)

homey · 08-05-2005, 03:21 PM

There are two places where AllowRootLogin= is listed. I changed both and that works....
[X-*-Core]
AllowNullPasswd=true
AllowRootLogin=true

and

[X-:*-Core]
AllowNullPasswd=true
AllowRootLogin=true

Putting preferred=kdm in /etc/X11/prefdm file seems to be ok as it works on my box.

Simon Bridge · 08-05-2005, 06:00 PM

That should do it ...
you can also select kdm as preferred from the graphical login screen or use the desktop switching tool.

rextor · 08-06-2005, 01:24 PM

thanks a lot guys for that help....now i can login as root..
but just a curiosity...i want to know where do i get to know about the variables in this file? eg. AllowRootLogin, AllowNullPasswd.etc...a few things which may not be so obvious from their names. any man page, info page or documentaion u can guide me to ??

vredfreak · 08-06-2005, 01:33 PM

If you prefer a GUI:

Go into control center in KDE and there is an option in there for login manager. Click the "administrator mode" button and then under one of the tabs listed at the top you will find hidden users. Make sure root is UNCHECKED. This should allow you login through KDM as root.

You will also find other options (with small explanations) that deal with the other entries you were asking about.

Simon Bridge · 08-06-2005, 09:20 PM

There are many sources of documentation on the web and in your distribution notes. It's a matter of sifting.

Linux is very large and somewhat complex - documentation tends to be about basic use and configuration or more specific HOWTO's for common uses.

You can try things like the linux documentation project if you want.

Another source for manuals and stuff will be the official project site for whatever you want to know about and its sattellites. For eg.

http://docs.kde.org/en/HEAD/kdebase/kdm/kdmrc.html

would be a good start to finding out about all those kdmrc config entries.