Root logon denied at console.

[Adam W.]

Ok I have a Red Hat 3.0 box, and root has been disabled to logon from the console. The IP addresses have not been set for it's new location, so I cannot remote in. There are no other accounts on the box at the moment. How can I get into this server?

[Gokul Chandola]

Dear Adam,

Reboot the Linux machine by pressing the hardware reset button. In a default Linux installation, pressing CTL+ALT+DEL

Upon Linux booting up to GRUB loader GUI, move the arrow key up/down to highlight and select the Linux kernel and press e to edit the GRUB commands before booting.

Next, move the arrow key up/down to select the Linux kernel and press e again.

Append a single space followed by the word single at the end of edited line: - single

After pressing ENTER key, you should now have a similar GRUB screenshot as of follow. Keep the Linux kernel highlighted and press b to boot up with the â singleâ keyword, which will boot Linux into single user maintenance mode.

Once the Linux boot up completely into single user maintenance mode, the Linux command prompt is ready to execute command. Now, you can type passwd to reset the forgotten root password - without prompting for old root password, just type a new root password and re-type to confirm.

Done. Type reboot or exit to reboot. On next boot up, you can login with the new root password!

You Can follow the atteched file also.

Regards,
Gokul Chandola

[Adam W.]

gokul,
Will doing the above, change the root console logon setting. The problem isn't that I don't know the password. I know the password. but root logon is disabled form the console.

Can I change the I.P. adress in single user mode?

[Court Campbell]

go into single user mode and check that console is in the file /etc/securetty.

[Adam W.]

Court,

Thanks for the info I will write mroe when I have the outcome.

[skt_skt]

Can I change the I.P. adress in single user mode?

yes you can. BUT STILL U NEED TO LOGIN FIRST.

[Adam W.]

Court,
I was able to get into the box using your process. Basically I went in single user mode reset the IP and subnet and was able to remote in. Weird thing is that "console" is in the /etc/securetty file, but I still cannot log into the console as root. Any other conflicting files that would not allow root to login from the console?

[Ivan Ferreira]

Maybe the /etc/security/access.conf file.

[Court Campbell]

Can you login as root via any other method? And can anyone else login to the console?

[Adam W.]

everyone can log on remotely via tectia client. However NO ONE can logon to the console.