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SSH root login failure
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:17 am
by alex.barylski
I have finally figured out why I cannot connect to SSH @ work -- someone changed the port to 25 -- that reset to 22 eveything works -- sorta.
Now I can login remotely using my user/pass assgined to me but I cannot login remotely as root despite the following config setting:
I assume it's the password but the admin here swears he gave me the right password.
Assuming he has lost the password but we have physical access to the machine, how do we retreive the root password?

Re: SSH root login failure
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:07 pm
by Benjamin
Just to check the password, have you tried to SU from a different account?
If the password is wrong I would search google for the steps you have to take in order to reset it, I know it's out there.
Might want to try the password with a space before it or after it, in case he pasted it in there with a space.
Re: SSH root login failure
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:11 pm
by VladSun
1. Boot from a live CD
2. create a directory
3. mount your HDD into this directory
4. chroot to this directory
5. execute passwd into CLI
6. eject the CD and reboot
PS: You can't retreive it, but you can rewrite it this way
Re: SSH root login failure
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:50 pm
by alex.barylski
Apparently Ubuntu has an 'administrator' account and remote root login are strictly forbidden, so I had to login as 'administrator' then:
Or something to that effect...I do recall reading that somewhere a few years ago, that Ubuntu was more 'secure' or 'limiting' in this way.
Once of the differences between Debian and Ubuntu I guess.

Re: SSH root login failure
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:51 pm
by Benjamin
It's quite easy to just set the root password, then you can login as root.
Re: SSH root login failure
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:59 pm
by alex.barylski
It's quite easy to just set the root password, then you can login as root.
Is that why. Huh. If that is all it takes, I cannot see that being a big deal, no.
I still don't like the idea of using Ubuntu for a web server though. Extraneous overhead IMHO when a base Debian install with some minor tweaks would also do the trick.

Re: SSH root login failure
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:44 am
by Jenk
:p
or when on the grub boot screen, change runlevel to 1 (single user mode) which will log you in as root automatically.
Re: SSH root login failure
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:55 am
by VladSun
Don't do this

We have discussed it before, remember?
Re: SSH root login failure
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 5:58 pm
by alex.barylski
Dn't do this We have discussed it before, remember?
I do, although this server is not 'solely' my responsibility (my server was a dev server behind a NAT router -- I wouldn't do this on a live server).
I want to know what the advantages Ubuntu has over Debian setup with the introduction of a Administrator account...why not just super and normal users? And sudo/su into root if required?