[SOLVED] I added a new user to the Linux server and can't logon as the user

reinecke53 · 03-26-2012, 02:29 PM

Hi,
My name is Sue and I am an absolutely newbie to Linux but I have worked for years on Unix.

I have root access to my Linux server and added a new user. However, when I try to log onto the server, using Putty, I get an access denied message. I am sure I am missing a piece, but I don't know what the piece is. Can someone help me?

Thanks.

suicidaleggroll · 03-26-2012, 02:30 PM

Can you SSH into the server as any user?

If every user is being denied, perhaps you need to check your permissions in the sshd server, or maybe even just start the sshd server if it isn't running already.

T3RM1NVT0R · 03-26-2012, 02:35 PM

Hi Sue,

Welcome to LQ!!!

Which linux distribution are you using? Did you check the logs? Are you able to login to this machine via Putty using root account? Did you set the password for newly created user using passwd <username> command?

reinecke53 · 03-26-2012, 03:13 PM

Thanks for the quick response. I am using SuSE11 SP2. The vendor will not let me login as root, I have to sudo to root. I don't know where the logs are to check but I can certainly do that if someone tells me where they are.

I did setup the password for the new user. When I am logged into the server as myself, I can su to the new user, and put in the password, but I can't log into the server with the new password.

Sue

T3RM1NVT0R · 03-26-2012, 03:18 PM

Try to login as that user using Putty and once you get the error message login with your user account and paste the output of the following command:

Code:

tail /var/log/messages

How did you create the user by editing /etc/passwd file or by running useradd command?

Also paste the output of:

Code:

cat /etc/passwd | grep <username>

Where <username> will be the user who is unable to ssh via putty.

reinecke53 · 03-26-2012, 03:38 PM

There was nothing in the /var/log/messages file. It has not been written to since March 7.

Here is the output of the cat statement:

ingres:x1005:100::/home/ingres:/bin/bash

Thanks again for your assistance.

lithos · 03-26-2012, 03:42 PM

Hi,

Isn't something like AllowUsers defined in /etc/ssh/sshd_config ? (examples)
Check if this allows only your username to login through SSH.

lithos · 03-26-2012, 03:42 PM

here happened a double post (don't know how or why, I was clicking Edit)

T3RM1NVT0R · 03-26-2012, 03:53 PM

You're welcome.

lithos is right. As you said that once you are logged in with your user account you are able to su - <username> then it appears that something has been setup in sshd_config file.

As you said that you are running SLES11 SP2. Did you contact SuSE / Novell and informed them about this?

reinecke53 · 03-27-2012, 01:56 PM

Thanks to everyone for your assistance. I added the user to sshusers and that did the trick.

Sue

lithos · 03-27-2012, 03:16 PM

That's great.

So, if you feel it's solved, can you mark the thread as solved (look at my signature how).

Regards