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12-10-2002, 03:35 PM
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#1
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LQ Newbie
Registered: Dec 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Distribution: RHEL
Posts: 8
Rep:
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cannot run su -
for some reason i cannot use su - anymore. It says
su: incorrect password
and i know it work the other day. Any ideas why this wouldnt work anymore?
The server is a new 8.0 install in a private home environment. Nobody can get to it other than myself.
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12-10-2002, 07:54 PM
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#2
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Moderator
Registered: May 2001
Posts: 29,415
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Myabe you inadvertedly tripped the CAPS key? :-]
If all fails boot into single mode and just issue yourself a new root passwd.
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12-11-2002, 11:08 AM
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#3
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LQ Newbie
Registered: Dec 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Distribution: RHEL
Posts: 8
Original Poster
Rep:
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i can log into the system with root just fine. If i connect to the system via telnet or ssh and attempt to run su -, thats when i get the incorrect password.
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12-11-2002, 01:35 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Registered: Sep 2002
Location: Arizona, US, Earth
Distribution: Slackware, (Non-Linux: Solaris 7,8,9; OSX; BeOS)
Posts: 1,152
Rep:
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Do you have a file called:
/etc/suauth
if so, you may have to fix it.
man suauth
man su
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12-12-2002, 01:43 PM
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#5
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LQ Newbie
Registered: Dec 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Distribution: RHEL
Posts: 8
Original Poster
Rep:
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Dont have the file. What should i look for next?
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12-12-2002, 03:15 PM
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#6
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Moderator
Registered: May 2001
Posts: 29,415
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Grep your logfiles for PAM warnings at the time of login.
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12-12-2002, 10:15 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Registered: Sep 2002
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 1,552
Rep:
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Any error messages in your logs that might be helpful to us?
Last edited by stickman; 12-12-2002 at 10:16 PM.
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12-13-2002, 01:20 PM
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#8
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LQ Newbie
Registered: Dec 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Distribution: RHEL
Posts: 8
Original Poster
Rep:
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this is the message as I log in as the regular user and then attempt to su.
Dec 13 13:13:03 hades login(pam_unix)[5741]: session opened for user helpdesk by (uid=0)
Dec 13 13:13:03 hades -- helpdesk[5741]: LOGIN ON pts/1 BY helpdesk FROM ncit6212
Dec 13 13:15:21 hades su(pam_unix)[5793]: authentication failure; logname=helpdesk uid=500 euid=500
tty= ruser=helpdesk rhost= user=root
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12-16-2002, 10:40 AM
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#9
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Moderator
Registered: May 2001
Posts: 29,415
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Could you open up your /etc/pam.d/system-auth and add this to the "pam_unix" line:
"auth required /lib/security/pam_unix.so debug"
and try again? It will log more info.
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12-16-2002, 03:36 PM
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#10
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LQ Newbie
Registered: Dec 2002
Distribution: redhat
Posts: 14
Rep:
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if your machine is configured as high security or medium security, you need to be in wheel group in order to su ;-)
logon as root
vi /etc/group
add your name in front of wheel
done....
now you can su ;-)
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12-22-2002, 02:14 PM
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#11
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LQ Newbie
Registered: Dec 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Distribution: RHEL
Posts: 8
Original Poster
Rep:
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I tried the debug statement, but the output is exactly the same. If I cannot run the su - command, can I set the system to allow root to telnet/ssh in? I am not concerned with security, the system is only going to be used by myself.
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12-23-2002, 07:48 AM
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#12
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Member
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 549
Rep:
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securetty problem maybe?
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04-12-2006, 11:29 PM
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#13
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LQ Newbie
Registered: Apr 2006
Posts: 5
Rep:
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first check the content of this file:
/etc/pam.d/su
if you have this:
auth required /lib/security/pam_wheel.so group=root
change root to another group
the put in this new group your user that use "su" command
This solve my problem.
bye!
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