topic Re: Root disabled - no console login prompt in Operating System - HP-UX

Root disabled - no console login prompt

Randolph Knippel — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:33:30 GMT

I attempted to use the SMH to change the root password on an rx8640 running HP-UX 11.23. It came back with a message saying that the root account was in use, so it would not make the change. Fine. I logged out of the SMH and tried to sign-in to my server as root. Received a message that the root account is disabled but could still be used from the console. Signed onto the MP and went into the console. No login prompt. Tried ^ecf but it says that I'm already attached to the OS console. Still no login prompt.
Is my only solution booting into single-user mode?
Thanks,
Randy

Re: Root disabled - no console login prompt

Dennis Handly — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:56:13 GMT

I assume the system is still up?
Can you login with another user and see what's going on with the console? Which processes is root running there?

Do you have sudo?

Re: Root disabled - no console login prompt

Randolph Knippel — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:03:10 GMT

The system is still up and running. A 'ps -ef | grep console' shows:
root 2780 1 0 Jan 5 console 0:00 -sh
root 2955 2780 0 Jan 5 console 0:00 vi /var/tmp/sh2780.1

We have sudo installed to enable certain users to reset passwords, but we do not allow them to reset root.
Thanks,
Randy

Re: Root disabled - no console login prompt

Patrick Wallek — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:09:26 GMT

According to your output, there is a shell running on the console, with a 'vi' session running.

If you reconnect to the console, try to exit out of 'vi' and see if you then get to the '#' prompt.

Re: Root disabled - no console login prompt

Dennis Handly — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:21:16 GMT

>Patrick: try to exit out of 'vi'

Right. Try a control-L then ":q!" if you don't want to save it.

Re: Root disabled - no console login prompt

Randolph Knippel — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:21:59 GMT

Thanks! That did the trick. Don't know why anyone was editting that file 20 days ago from the console, but I didn't relish the idea of booting into single-user mode to resolve it.

Re: Root disabled - no console login prompt

Randolph Knippel — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:26:30 GMT

Close thread.