Strange root login problem

Kim Holburn kim.holburn at anu.edu.au
Wed Aug 7 17:38:17 EST 2002


At 11:58 AM +1000 2002/08/07, Brendan Henderson at Keogh's wrote:
>I have a problem with Mandrake Linux 8.2 in that I cannot log on with root
>and root password (login into X window it displays login failed).
>I can log in with a standard user account and then issue SU, enter root
>password and do root type stuff but not login to a standard root account.
>Any idea's.


Here is a cached google page:

http://216.239.33.100/search?q=cache:hpDUJXIDocwC:rpmfind.net/linux/RPM/cooker/cooker/alpha/Mandrake/RPMS/msec-0.19-8mdk.alpha.html+enable+%22root+login%22+xdm&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

that has this info:

>msec-0.19-8mdk RPM for alpha
>
>From Mandrake Cooker / cooker / alpha / Mandrake / RPMS
>
>Name: msec	Distribution: Mandrake Linux
>Version: 0.19	Vendor: MandrakeSoft
>Release: 8mdk	Build date: Sat Apr 6 18:02:53 2002
>Group: System/Base	Build host: brutus.normnet.org
>Size: 288481	Source RPM: msec-0.19-8mdk.src.rpm
>Packager: Jeff Garzik <jgarzik at mandrakesoft.com>
>Url: http://www.linux-mandrake.com/
>Summary: Security Level & Program for the Mandrake Linux distribution
>The Mandrake-Security package is designed to provide generic
>secure level to the Mandrake Linux users...
>It will permit you to choose between level 0 to 5
>for a less -> more secured distribution.
>This packages includes several program that will be run periodically
>in order to test the security of your system and alert you if needed.
>
>Provides
>
>
>* msec



>* Thu Dec 27 2001 Frederic Lepied <flepied at mandrakesoft.com> 0.17-4mdk
>  - disable root login in xdm,kdm,gdm the same way as in Bastille (via pam).
>  - manage password aging.
>  - manage crontab and at authorization.


Have a look here (a suse problem):
http://lists.suse.com/archive/suse-security/2002-Jan/0475.html


I might be way off the beam here but I remember suns had a setting that would not allow root to log in remotely and I wonder if there is such a setting to stop root loggin gin to X.  I might look for it in /etc/default/ /etc/inittab /etc/ttys
-- 
--
Kim Holburn  Network Consultant  P: +61 2 61258620 M: +61 0417820641
Email: kim.holburn at anu.edu.au - PGP Public Key on request

Life is complex - It has real and imaginary parts.
     Andrea Leistra (rec.arts.sf.written.Robert-jordan)



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