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Constant Failed SU Login Attempts in GUI mode

I've only been using mepis linux for about a year now, and I've self taught myself on alot of things, but I don't get this problem...

Whenever I want to run as root, I can in the console. (su, then password). But when I open file manager su mode or mepis config (os center) in GUI mode it wont accept my password. My password contains no numbers and is only six letters long, and I've been reading threads posted how malicious individuals use dictionary attacks to change user passwords. Is this what's happening? How can I fix this probelm? I'm not very versed in hacking so I'm just about ready to dump my harddrive on the removable and re-install mepis. Someone help!

If you can run as root in the console, it's not a changed passwords problem. How are you opening the programs, from the menu and then they're prompting you for root's password?

If you're using Gnome, it defaults to no root login. You can change it in the Actions menu of GDM.

Ok, so I tried changing the password in the console and this is what I got:

Quote:

root@2[thehuntedcat]# kdesu
Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified

kdesu: cannot connect to X server :0.0

root@2[thehuntedcat]# xhost +
Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified

xhost: unable to open display ":0.0"
root@2[thehuntedcat]# synaptic
Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified

(synaptic:7936): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:
root@2[thehuntedcat]# konqueror
Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified

konqueror: cannot connect to X server :0.0

I have no idea what to do.

I went and looked at more forums, and people have been telling me to use xauth, so I used that.

Quote:

root@2[thehuntedcat]# xauth
xauth: creating new authority file /root/.Xauthority
Using authority file /root/.Xauthority
xauth> list
xauth> list

it wasn't listing anything so I tried it without su

Quote:

thehuntedcat@2[~]$ xauth
Using authority file /home/thehuntedcat/.Xauthority
xauth> list
192.168.1.101:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 553e773ae9fc42a3d7a9db5f9cbfe711
skylar1/unix:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 553e773ae9fc42a3d7a9db5f9cbfe711
192.168.79.1:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 b4467760a8cc7c7278b9b152b97bf659
10.20.9.229:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 a346fba381343cbc1c82089a6e6ef411
10.20.7.232:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 33a687d9afa6262e1bab3bd3160e63e0
10.20.7.170:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 457390812a734a0c7749faf6dc31da16
10.20.6.250:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 9d4f2363ca94b78c3a7ec2ce3e1ce48c
10.20.6.132:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 97e52bc7b8bad7232646ab3e5d29a50e
10.20.6.113:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 a5df2555fdf2bb89d8d2a41eea887bb6
10.20.6.0:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 ea57dd893bc21e838f49c1cda96351ca
10.20.5.132:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 5f9cbef0a8f84bd192435dd3a1a99274
localhost.localdomain:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 f285f7ac67c40150a4f23096dc57355d

(numbers have been changed a bit for security perposes)

It then hit me that maybe I should copy the .Xauthority files

Quote:

thehuntedcat@3[~]$ su
Password:xxxxxxxxxxxx
root@3[thehuntedcat]# cp /home/thehuntedcat/.Xauthority -t /root

That fixed the problem from the console (which means I can run synaptic/konqueror via kdesu now). But I still can't get into any of the programs through the GUI. It just wont accept a password.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pljvaldez

If you can run as root in the console, it's not a changed passwords problem. How are you opening the programs, from the menu and then they're prompting you for root's password?

Yeah, it's prompting me for a password when I open programs from the menu. Then when I type my password in it's not accepting it.