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root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/securetty and root password is correct)

 
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Greg Taylor
Advisor

root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/securetty and root password is correct)

I cannot login as root when accessing the console via the MP (management processor).

 

I can su to root after logging in as me. So I know I have the correct root password, etc.

 

As you can see, there is an entry for console in /etc/securetty...


[root@myhost /root] # cat /etc/securetty
console
[root@myhost /root] #

 

And this is the result of trying to login as root on the console (via MP) with the correct password.


Console Login: root
Password:
Login incorrect
login:

 

Any ideas???

 

FYI: This is an rx6600 running HPUX 11.31. 

 

 

18 REPLIES 18
Bill Hassell
Honored Contributor

Re: root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/securetty and root password is correct)

Just to make sure it is related to the securetty file, remove it and try logging in again. If that works, there may be some junk characters in the word console. To put the console back again:

 

echo "console" > /etc/securetty

 If it doesn't work, are you logging into the console with telnet? Are you using an iLO2 terminal window?



Bill Hassell, sysadmin
Greg Taylor
Advisor

Re: root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/securetty and root password is correct)

@Bill,  Thanks for trying to help!

 

I am using PuTTY to connect to the MP with SSH and then accessing the console.  Though I also tried using a web browser to access the iLO console/terminal window too.  Both yield the same results.  I cannot login as root  either way.  However I can login as me and then su to root without any problem (so I have the correct password for root, etc). 

 

I cleared out the /etc/securetty file and put console back in there via the echo command as you suggested.  Unfortunately that did not make a difference.

 

we have four HPUX systems, three 11.31 and one 11.11 and I can't login as root (via the console) on any of them.  I'm beginnig to wonder if a past co-worker did something on all of them to prevent this.  Though I know I have logged in as root on via the consoles in the past.  

 

I thought you could login at the console as root no matter what; even if the account is locked (as long as you have the correct password and "console" is in the /etc/securetty file).  

 

Any more ideas?

 

 

Dennis Handly
Acclaimed Contributor

Re: root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/securetty and root password is correct)

>I cleared out the /etc/securetty file and put console back

 

Did you try logging in after you removed the file and before you put it back?

Greg Taylor
Advisor

Re: root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/securetty and root password is correct)

@ Dennis

 

I opened the /etc/securetty file with vi and cleared it out and then saved it, and then ran the echo command to put console back in there.  I did not actually remove and recreate the file.  On that note the file looks like this.

 

-rwx------ 1 root sys 8 Feb 7 13:56 securetty

 

I asume ownership and permisisons are good...

 

And yes I tried logging in before and after doing that but no luck.  Since I am getting the same result on four servers I didn't think the file was corrupted, etc so that is why I only cleared it out and did not remove and replace it.  I guess I can try that too since I am grasping at straws now.

 

Thanks for your help!

Greg Taylor
Advisor

Re: root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/securetty and root password is correct)

So I just removed the /etc/security file and tried to login as root at the console (before recreating the file) and still could not, so I recreated the file and tried again and still could not login...   :(

 

 

Dennis Handly
Acclaimed Contributor

Re: root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/securetty and root password is correct)

Ok, it looks like you already tried to remove it and login.

Greg Taylor
Advisor

Re: root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/security and root password is correct)

Yes, I was a little slow and did not understand the suggestion completely the first time, but did try that...  

 

I sent an email to the person who no longer works here to see if he did anything unique to the servers that would cause this but I really doubt he did (and it may be a day or so before I hear back from him).  It just would not make sense to disallow root login at the console (at least for our environment), and like I mentioned previously, I have logged in at the console as root in the past.  So I am really baffled as to what has changed. 

 

Besides /etc/security, is there anything else that would effect root login at the console?

Patrick Wallek
Honored Contributor
Solution

Re: root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/security and root password is correct)

Does your password contain any special characters like @ ! # etc?

Greg Taylor
Advisor

Re: root login at console not working (is allowed in /etc/security and root password is correct)

Yes it does have a special character "@".  Do you think that is it, and if so, what is the reasoning?  

 

I can test and see if that is the cause/solution...  

 

If it is, are there any special characters that are okay to use?  (Our password standards require a special character.)