Is there a time limit on the 3x failure of the root password? I am getting
su
Password:
su: Authentication failure
in spite of correct entry. Same with YaST. So I am currently locked out of my root account. How do I get out of this?
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You can enter a wrong password unlimited times in a terminal/YaST.
CLI told me my number of attempts had expired. I put that down to a keyboard HW error at the time, but that is now corrected for sure. I have no problem with the passwords of normal users.
After entering 3 times the wrong password, you are required to enter the command „su -“ again. But normally there is no limitation to repeat this procedure.
Btw, have a read here for good practices of using „su -„
https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Never_use_just_su
Correction, you have to enter the initial “su -” command after each failed password attempt.
Every time I try I get
…and I have not forgotten my root password.
A limit?? Confused here … at “what” type of terminal are you at?
A true text-only terminal? A GUI oriented command line terminal?
When are you attempting this? During boot-up before a GUI login ? After logged in to your DE as a regular user? Some other scenario?
The below is copied out of a konsole (running KDE Plasma here) GUI terminal … so far, I’m up to eight login failures. No lock-out. (and will not be locked out).
user@mach :~> su -l
Password:
su: Authentication failure
user@mach :~> su -l
Password:
su: Authentication failure
user@mach :~> su -l
Password:
su: Authentication failure
user@mach :~> su -l
Password:
su: Authentication failure
user@mach :~> su -l
Password:
su: Authentication failure
user@mach :~> su -l
Password:
su: Authentication failure
user@mach :~> su -l
Password:
su: Authentication failure
user@mach :~> su -l
Password:
su: Authentication failure
user@mach :~>
One sidenote I failed to mention.
I use a Matias Ergo-Pro keyboard (ergonomic with true mechanical keys) on our desktop … occasionally, it has a bad habit of repeating a key, even though I only press the key once (I think that particular key gets stuck for an extra sub-second).
One workaround is I start up a GUI text editor (Kate) and type the password to make sure it’s correct … then I copy that already-typed password in Kate … then when I type a “su -l” in a konsole (GUI) terminal, I simply do a mouse middle-click to paste the copied password into the konsole at the Password prompt. That way , I know the password (pasted) is correct.
My other workaround is to tap the key that is “double-typing” 5-10 quick times, before I boot up, so the sticky key won’t stick anymore. The other workaround is to swap out that Ergo-Pro with the other Ergo-Pro I have sitting in a box 
I am at a true text-only terminal after being logged in as a normal GNOME user.
I have a Dell Windows keyboard that is probably not the problem, although it can be a little temperamental. I am watching it.
Try a true VT (i.e. “CTRL+ALT+F4”): if it works there it might be a Gnome glitch.
After I turn on the machine, and the SDDM login screen is displayed (the default KDE main login screen), I click on my user account image.
Then I use one finger and tap in each password character and watch the dots “•” displayed (hidden characters).
About 80% of the time, when I tap the ‘e’ key, I see two dots ‘••’ displayed, and I know the key stuck slightly. So, I tap Backspace key twice, then enter ‘e’ again, watching.
You would think a $200 USD keyboard would not eventually get a sticky key 
Maybe I should pop off that key and examine the mechanical switch.
Problem solved!! I followed the instruction here, not really understanding what I was doing and I one moment, at boot-up again I was warned that UID >presumably root> could not be activated and I could not even login to my own user account.
My final recovery was to use a boot recovery procedure and all was well again.
Thanks to all for the help and suggestions!! 
…or so I thought. The problem persists when booting in standard (default) mode but is not when booting in recovery mode. Can I make recovery mode the default?