root user can't login via telnet

[Augusto Vinhaes]

Hi all !

I'm using Red Hat Linux release 7.1 and I'd like to know what should I do to log in via telnet using the root user. Nowadays I have to log in using a normal user and I have to launch the "su" to become root. Sorry about the simple question.

For hp-ux the /etc/securetty controls this kind of thing.

Regards,
Augusto

[Steven Mertens]

hi,

you can find the solution here http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x5849c4c76f92d611abdb0090277a778c,00.html

change /etc/pam.d/login

comment the following line
auth required /lib/security/pam_securetty.so

regards,


Steven

[K.C. Chan]

Is telnet necessary, or can you use ssh instead of telnet?

[Trever Furnish]

Using telnet to log in and become root means you are sending your root password in the clear over the wire. Consider using SSH instead. There are lots of small free clients for Windows and the SSH server is already installed by default.

[Peter Kloetgen]

Hi Augusto,

if you really want to enable root login on Redhat, do the following:

--> rename /etc/securetty to securetty.old

--> vi the following file:

/etc/xinetd.d/telnet

--> change the entry: disable = yes to "no"

--> restart your xinetd

This will do it for you!

Allways stay on the bright side of life!

Peter

[Steven E. Protter]

Also note that by default RedHat versions over 7.0 configure to not allow telnet logins at all. You have to make the decision to turn it on.

[Stefan Marquardt_1]

Hi,

renaming securetty helps but results in error messages !
Put rlogin in /etc/securetty and a few Pseudo TTY's which should be allowed for root access.

This is the only correct solution.
Erasing the pam rule helps but isn't nice.