Logging in as a user with root password

erik2282 · 06-08-2017, 03:55 PM

Why not just have the user login for you with his credential?

mikenash · 06-09-2017, 07:46 AM

You could create an authorized key to login on each user id. that is defined to your system. This would allow you to log in without knowing the user id.'s password.

mtsoule · 06-09-2017, 08:07 AM

Deleted

Rickkkk · 06-09-2017, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtsoule

... Remember, we were all newbies at one point and asked, what seemed to others as an "Ignorant question", but its all a part of the learning process..

Thank you all

Absolutely.

I hope you succeed in your endeavour. Please feel free to return as needed should you have any other questions.

Cheers.

rtmistler · 06-09-2017, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 273

Talk to somebody who knows what they are doing and ask them to set it up for you.
Please, for everyone's good, step away from the computer now!

Apologies for potentially breaking forum rules but I do not think that letting somebody ignorantly assume the power of other users is in the best interest of anyone else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtsoule

You don't have to be mean, this is why I posted this in the "Newbie" section.. I was just looking to see if this could be done..

I do NOT ask for user passwords, nor do I want them. unfortunately, I do not have a Richard Cranium, like yourself to ask questions, that is why I asked here.

most of the response I receive were very good suggestions, and I thank everyone who replied.

My goal was to assume the permissions of a user so I may test scripts etc.. without actually needed them to log in for me, I am the administrator and root so I do have the needed clearance to do what is needed, just looking for a cleaner way to do it via the GUI.

that would help me in the "Icon on my desktop isn't working right" case.

I am trying to use beast practices, however I am also learning those as I go along...

Remember, we were all newbies at one point and asked, what seemed to others as an "Ignorant question", but its all a part of the learning process..

Thank you all

While I failed to take note of and also consider that 273's post offering an accompanied apology within the post is still not in the proper light of LQ, mtsoule your direct attack back with implied name calling clearly also is not in the proper light of LQ. A fact which I feel you should also understand having been signed up on LQ for about 5 years.

Therefore let's calm down with comments, and not take further offense at each other.

mtsoule · 06-09-2017, 08:28 AM

I do apologize to 273, rtmistler, you are correct, and I apologize to the community. I will delete my post..

mikenash · 06-09-2017, 08:30 AM

You can find a lot of help if you search on google with the phrase: "How to setup passwordless SSH.". Good luck!

lazydog · 06-09-2017, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro

I've never tried this but sudo su -user may work. Not sure.

It would be simple to go to Mike and tell him that you are the admin and you need his password. No one ever stops me from asking.

NO user should ever give his password to ANYONE.

jefro · 06-11-2017, 02:49 PM

Thank you mtsoule for your correction. Takes a big person to admit mistakes in public.

I was assuming that you had full authority to take on this process. If not then we shouldn't be helping. If you do need that password and it is a business case then tell your manager that you need it.

I assume this is a commercial business. The business owns all the data and can by many court rulings compel employees to reveal passwords. Condition of employment.

mtsoule · 06-11-2017, 03:09 PM

Quote:

I was assuming that you had full authority to take on this process. If not then we shouldn't be helping. If you do need that password and it is a business case then tell your manager that you need it.

I assume this is a commercial business. The business owns all the data and can by many court rulings compel employees to reveal passwords. Condition of employment.

I DO have full authority, and I am ROOT (just don't log in as such, unless needed). I can ask the users for their passwords, although I don't like to. it is a commercial business and the company does own all the equipment and data. So, your assumption was correct. Thanks for asking

Shadow_7 · 06-11-2017, 03:32 PM

$ su
or
$ sudo -s
or
$ sudo -i
and
# su - mike

It doesn't prompt for mikes password when you are root. One of the many dangers of root priviledge. Ofc as root you could delete mikes password, and/or set your own. Most of which will violate the standards of larger commercial entities. And potentially laws of your community. Plus you don't want to hand that environment to mike as he could exit to be root and exit again to be you.

Shadow_7 · 06-11-2017, 04:14 PM

It's probably more standard to make a clone of mike, call it mikes_clone or something. Make sure it's in all the same groups. And use that for whatever testing needs to be done. Not always easy in corporate structures with proprietary systems and in house access control stuff. But at least you keep the user protected from your mistakes. And have something to show the boss to prove you weren't on the john for six of your eight hours at work.

!!! · 06-11-2017, 05:23 PM

Might the extreme of manually editing /etc/shadow work, temporarily replacing the user's encrypted pwd string with yours?

Of course, be careful to not break /etc/shadow! (Maybe you could even preserve its current inode via: mv shadow s;cp s shadow, then, when done, mv s shadow)

What if: user's problem is from physical display device they are using, so it could ONLY be reproduced AT their physical location (by them / watching their exact actions) ?
What if (re: clone): user has something like: check id == '^mike$' ?

Of course, there's always the possibility of complexities like specialized identity management setups (which don't use /etc/shadow), SEL/etc. "magic", ...

mtsoule · 06-12-2017, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Might the extreme of manually editing /etc/shadow work, temporarily replacing the user's encrypted pwd string with yours?

Yea, I thought about that.. only down fall, is if something goes wrong potentially destroying all of the accounts ,including root. however, first thing I would do is backup shadow.

thought about writing a script to do this.. but, suppose Mike is already logged in, and his password changes via shadow, how would that affect him?

perhaps safest thing is SU. but, I need to test if I SU to Mike from Root, do I have mikes prevs, or root prevs? I would assume Mikes, otherwise there would be no point.

scasey · 06-12-2017, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtsoule

perhaps safest thing is SU. but, I need to test if I SU to Mike from Root, do I have mikes prevs, or root prevs? I would assume Mikes, otherwise there would be no point.

It's been said before, but I'll repeat it: If you

Code:

su - mike

from root, you will have mike environment and privileges, you will even be moved into his $HOME You will not be prompted for a password.
if you leave out the - , you'll have mike privileges, but the root environment. You will not be moved to his $HOME.