system does not accept the super user password!!!

al-nobani · July 6, 2010, 10:06am

Hello every body,
I am trying to be a super user in terminal but I can’t. I am sure that I type the correct password, I check also the caps lock button and the language.
Also I can’t go to the yast.
note that the root password is exactly the same as user password

nobani@linux-m9c6:~> su
Password:
Permissions on the password database may be too restrictive.
su: incorrect password
nobani@linux-m9c6:~>

I am using KDE 4.3.5 on openSUSE11.2
Any Idea ???
Respectfully,

DenverD · July 6, 2010, 12:32pm

al-nobani wrote:

> Permissions on the password database may be too restrictive.
> Any Idea ???

to me, it sound like you ventured into YaST > Security and Users >
Local Security and maybe changed “file permissions” from “easy” to
something else…

or, you went into YaST > Novell AppArmor and got creative…

i do know you are not the first person to LOCK yourself out of your
own box via one of those two methods above…or maybe another
way…can you remember what you did where?

you might want to wait for someone with a plan to help you back out of
were you are now…well, i know i can’t help you other than telling
you how to recover a lost root password, but this is NOT that case and
shoving in a new root pass might ensure you never recover…so, if i
were you i’d wait for some with a lot more knowledge than me in
AppArmor and/or flipping file permissions off of ‘easy’…

good luck…what you can do while waiting (for a pro) is save all your
data, music, movies, emails, etc to a safe off machine place (DVD(s)
maybe) because it might require a format/install to recover…

user · July 6, 2010, 12:58pm

On 2010-07-06 08:16 GMT al-nobani wrote:

>
> Hello every body,
> I am trying to be a super user in terminal but I can’t. I am sure that
> I type the correct password, I check also the caps lock button and the
> language.
> Also I can’t go to the yast.
> note that the root password is exactly the same as user password
>
> Code:
> --------------------
> nobani@linux-m9c6:~> su
> Password:
> Permissions on the password database may be too restrictive.
> su: incorrect password
> nobani@linux-m9c6:~>
> --------------------

Wow!

Type “ls -l /etc/passwd” and post the result.

Also, can you log as root in text mode? (ctrl-alt-f1) ?

Ah, and per DenverD idea:

grep -i PERMISSION_SECURIT /etc/sysconfig/security

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” GM (Elessar))

al-nobani · July 6, 2010, 3:32pm

Thank you all,
please have look below:

nobani@linux-m9c6:~> ls -l /etc/passwd
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2306 2010-06-10 14:27 /etc/passwd
nobani@linux-m9c6:~>

and

nobani@linux-m9c6:~> grep -i PERMISSION_SECURIT /etc/sysconfig/security
PERMISSION_SECURITY="easy local"
# PERMISSION_SECURITY. If PERMISSION_SECURITY contains 'secure' or
nobani@linux-m9c6:~>

DenverD · July 6, 2010, 4:10pm

while waiting on the real guru (Carlos) to return:

you missed answering his question:
“Also, can you log as root in text mode? (ctrl-alt-f1) ?”

that is, hold down…wait, to get back to your normal GUI

hold down Crtl and Alt then press F7 <do NOT forget this!!

to switch to a text terminal:
hold down Ctrl and Alt and press F1
you will see a log in prompt, type root and enter, then it will ask
for password, try your root password there, does it work?

if not (make sure your caps/num locks are the way it should be), then
just hold down Crtl and Alt then press F7 to get back here and report
results

if you ARE successful in loggin in as root the fonts will turn
red…don’t do anything…just type exit and enter twice then,
hold down Crtl and Alt then press F7 to get back here and report results…

oh, in your first post you say “I check also the caps lock button and
the language.” but did you also check the NumLock? (if you use your
key pad in the root pass) and since you mentioned ‘language’:

does your root pass have any non-asci characters?

al-nobani · July 6, 2010, 4:41pm

yes, It is work successfully using the above method !!!, and the system accept the root password , also the font became a red as you mentioned.

the password is only ASCII ( digits and alphabet letter), also i don’t have a NumLock… I checked every thing

al-nobani · July 6, 2010, 5:02pm

sorry, I forgot tell you it is still can not accept the root password using GUI, I mean here

DenverD · July 6, 2010, 5:22pm

al-nobani wrote:
> yes, It is work successfully using the above method !!!, and the system
> accept the root password , also the font became a red as you mentioned.

ah, i think i now remember!! but, i only tell you if you PROMISE to
log a bug in bugzilla! http://en.opensuse.org/Submitting_Bug_Reports

find Personal Settings - Configure Desktop and go Security & Privacy >
Password & User Account, then on the right you will see “At Password
Prompt” and you can select
“show one star for each letter”
“show three stars for each letter”
“show nothing”

(you had 3 stars, right?) change it to one star for each letter, then
click apply and see if you can’t now get YaST to accept your root
password!

THEN post a bug report, please.

al-nobani · July 6, 2010, 6:25pm

I had “show one bullet for each letter” which is the default choice not 3 !!! and it is not working

BUT, how can I post a bug report? this is first time to use it .
I am getting lost inside the http://en.opensuse.org/Submitting_Bug_Reports
could you please help me report a bug??

user · July 6, 2010, 10:19pm

On 2010-07-06 16:36 GMT al-nobani wrote:

>
> I had “show one bullet for each letter” which is the default choice
> not 3 !!! and it is not working
>
> BUT, how can I post a bug report? this is first time to use it .
> I am getting lost inside the
> http://en.opensuse.org/Submitting_Bug_Reports
> could you please help me report a bug??

I think that DenverD wanted you to fill a Bugzilla if you had 3
bullets and the change to 1 allowed you to “su” properly. But it
hasn’t, so, no bugzilla. Pity.

DenverD:
Ah! No, I’m not a guru, I’m learning in this forum some new tricks I
didn’t know - I simply know some tricks you didn’t

If I were I would know what the problem is. I have no idea.

Ok, what I would do now is, first open a text console (ctrl-alt-f1),
log as root there, type “tailf /var/log/messages”, and go to
the 2nd console (alt-f2). Here type “tailf /var/log/audit/audit.log”).

Now leave, go to X (ctrl-alt-f7) and there in a “konsole” type “su” and
attempt to be root. If it fails, as you say, jump to the text consoles
again and see if there are new messages there and tell us.

Type Ctrl-C to stop the tailf command.

Also, have a look at the end of the “.xsession-errors” file on your
normal user HOME, near the end.

What else to try… Perhaps a “dmesg” command on a terminal.

Hopefully we’ll be able to see something.

About how to paste those commands here: just copy the files, being
root, to your home; change the permissions or the ownership so that you
can edit them (of the copy).

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” GM (Elessar))

DenverD · July 6, 2010, 11:42pm

@al-nobani: do you understand Carlos’ directions [type “tailf
/var/log/messages” etc etc etc]? if not say so, because i understand
them and can “translate” them to step-by-step, move-by-move directions
which you can follow…

let me know if i should do that for you…(but it will be tomorrow…
wednesday daylight in western europa)…

al-nobani · July 7, 2010, 8:05am

Thank you Carlos, Thank you DenverD,
DenverD, If you still here not in western europa could you please translate the above steps ?
If you leave I will wait you until you come back.
Have a nice day in western europa
cheers,

DenverD · July 7, 2010, 12:08pm

al-nobani wrote:
> could you please translate the above steps?

Carlos wrote:


Ok, what I would do now is, first open a text console (ctrl-alt-f1),
log as root there, type "tailf /var/log/messages", and go to
the 2nd console (alt-f2). Here type "tailf /var/log/audit/audit.log").

Now leave, go to X (ctrl-alt-f7) and there in a "konsole" type "su" and
attempt to be root. If it fails, as you say, jump to the text consoles
again and see if there are new messages there and tell us.

Type Ctrl-C to stop the tailf command.

Also, have a look at the end of the ".xsession-errors" file on your
normal user HOME, near the end.

What else to try... Perhaps a "dmesg" command on a terminal.

which is ‘translated’ into step-by-step as:

NOTE 1: always available in Linux is a full screen “text console”
accessible by holding down the left Ctrl and Alt keys and then pushing
the do NOT do this until you read how to get back to KDE] F1 key at
the top of the keyboard…to return to KDE press Ctrl-Alt-F7.

actually there is another, completely separate console available for
your use at F2, F3, F4, F5 and F6. any of those can be logged into as
yourself or any other system user, or root (super user)…

NOTE 2: since it will be difficult to switch back and fourth to read
instructions in KDE, it may be easiest to PRINT this instructions to
follow as you go

NOTE 3: you will need a pencil/pen and something to write on because
copy/paste won’t do all we need…(or you can take a photo–make sure
it is readable)

so, lets begin:

open a text console with Alt-Ctrl-F1
become root in that console by
a. at the prompt


(something) login:

type


root

and press enter

b. at the resulting prompt


password:

type your root password…you will not see what you type, then press
enter…the font will change to red and the symbol for root (#) will
be visible…

now go to the next available text console by pressing Ctrl-Alt-F2
and log in there as root also…using exactly the same procedure as
in #2 above
go back to Alt-Ctrl-F1 and type (CAREFULLY, always carefully) then
enter


tailf /var/log/messages

look at the last line there, and remember it…easiest i guess to just
write down the time stamp: like Jul 7 11:20:40

go to Alt-Ctrl-F2 type then enter


tailf /var/log/audit/audit.log

look at and remember the last message…here, on my machine each
message began with “type=(something …)”, some of the lines wrapped
but it was easy enough to count the number of lines beginning with
“type=(something …)” and write down or remember the number of lines…

go back to KDE by pressing Ctrl-Alt-F7
in KDE open a ‘konsole’ (a graphical representation of a text
console you were just at) by

a. holding down the left Alt and then pressing F2

b. a “Run Command” box will pop up, in it type


konsole

and press enter

in the just opened konsole type

su

and enter…we expect it to fail with the error you reported earlier.

if it didn’t fail, try to open and log into YaST, it better fail!
go to Ctrl-Alt-F1 and copy and write down (or photograph) the
new messages there
hold down the Ctrl key and press “c” (this will stop the logging)
go to Ctrl-Alt-F2 and copy and write down (or photograph) the
new messages there, then repeat step 10 above in this console also
go back to KDE with Ctrl-Alt-F7, and in the open konsole (where
you had typed su) type or copy/paste from here


tail .xsession-errors

and press enter (do NOT forget the “.” in front of the “x”)

begin a reply to Carlos’ post and

a. type (accurately) and label new messages from the F1 text console

b. type (accurately) and label new messages from the F2 text console

c. copy/paste the output of the tail command in the KDE konsole

in that still open KDE console type (or copy/paste from here) and
then enter


dmesg > ~/Desktop/dmesgOut.txt

a new file named dmesgOut.txt should appear on your desktop…for now,
just leave it there until a guru asks to see it (and tells you how to
put make it available to him/her) or your problem is resolved

send the answering message to this thread
as i feel it both insecure and dangerous to leave root powered
consoles open, return to Ctrl-Alt-F1, type exit and press enter,
the red font should be replaced, then go to Ctrl-Alt-F2 and do the same…
wait for Guru Carlos (or maybe another lurking) to appear and
bless us with knowing words!
forgive any trouble causing typing mistakes i may have made! and,
the wise man would wait a while hoping someone else will see my
mistakes and post refining comments for you to follow!!!

al-nobani · July 8, 2010, 8:38am

Dear DenverD, many many thanks

Carlos,

The new message from Ctrl + Alt + F1 is:


jul  7  09:03:12  linux-m9c6  su: (to root) root on  /dev/tty2.
jul  7  09:03:56  linux-m9c6  su: FAILED SU (to root)  nobani on /dev/pts/2

When I type “konsole” in the Ctrl + Alt + F2:


<unknown program name>(4827)/:KUniqueApplication: Cannot find the D-Bus session server:"/bin/dbus-launch terminated abnormally with the following errors: Autolauncher error: X11 initialization faild.

<unknown program name>(4826)/:KUniqueApplication: Pipe closed unexpectedly.

now in the console:

nobani@linux-m9c6:~> tail .xsession-errors
TileLoader::update()
MarbleMap: Updating the sun shading map...
MarbleModel::update()
MarbleMap: Updating the sun shading map...
MarbleModel::update()
TileLoader::update()
TileLoader::update()
MarbleMap: Updating the sun shading map...
MarbleModel::update()
TileLoader::update()
nobani@linux-m9c6:~>

finally,
I get the dmesgOut.txt on the desktop which is available at the request.

Really I don’t know how can I thank you

cheers,

DenverD · July 8, 2010, 9:54am

al-nobani wrote:

> When I type “konsole” in the Ctrl + Alt + F2:
> <unknown program name>(4827)/:KUniqueApplication: Cannot find the D-Bus session server:"/bin/dbus-launch terminated abnormally with the following errors: Autolauncher error: X11 initialization faild.

the instructions, after going back to KDE were “holding down the left
Alt and then pressing F2” (Alt+F2, not Ctrl+Alt+F2) THEN type konsole…

you skipped a step, the one to type tailf [something] into the
terminal at Ctrl+Alt+F2

please go back and follow steps 1 through 12…and, sorry i now see
an error in step 12: where it says “then repeat step 10 above in this
console also” it should just say “hold down the Ctrl key and press
‘c’” or repeat step 11

Carlos needs to see the output of the tailf command from both the F1
and the F2 console…you do not need to repeat steps 13 and on
(except to please give all new messages from F1 and F2)

> I get the dmesgOut.txt on the desktop which is available at the
> request.

hang on to that, Carlos (or someone) may still need it…

–
Enjoy Packman’s benefits? Show your appreciation by donating at
http://se.unixheads.org/?donate

DenverD
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD [posted via NNTP w/openSUSE 10.3]

al-nobani · July 8, 2010, 11:57am

Oh! sorry
After step 8 I get the reporting error message but in the same konsole when I write:

sudo /sbin/yast

and when I enter the password ,the system accept it and only in sudo not su.!!!
Now the new message from F1 (step 10 ) is :

jul  7  12:02:12  linux-m9c6  su: FAILED SU (to root)  nobani on /dev/pts/1
jul  7  12:03:56  linux-m9c6  sudo: nobani:TTY=pts/1;PWD=/home/nobani;USER=root;COMMAND=/sbin/yast

but there is no new messages from F2 ( step 12) !!!
and the last line is:

type=DAEMON_START msg=audit(1278491529.660:4377): audit start, ver=1.7.13 format=raw   kernal=2.6.31.12-0.2-default auid=4294967294   pid=1797  subj=unconfined  res=success

al-nobani · July 8, 2010, 12:52pm

the dmesgOut.txt has been uploaded here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/405684089/dmesgOut.txt

cheers

DenverD · July 8, 2010, 1:40pm

al-nobani wrote:
> sudo /sbin/yast
> and when I enter the password ,the system accept it and only in sudo
> not su.!!!
> Now the new message from F1 (step 10 ) is :
> jul 7 12:02:12 linux-m9c6 su: FAILED SU (to root) nobani on /dev/pts/1
> jul 7 12:03:56 linux-m9c6 sudo: nobani:TTY=pts/1;PWD=/home/nobani;USER=root;COMMAND=/sbin/yast

ok…i’m not able to see any hint in those captured logs of what the
problem is which is causing the symptom of an inability to su to root
in a GUI konsole but perfect ability to do so in a text console…

so, lets experiment some more:

i have a sneaking suspicion that maybe you are using a laptop, and if
so it has an Fn key used to cause a single hardware key to provide
several different input, like maybe either a letter, or a number pad
number or something else…and something about that is interfering
with inputs in the GUI konsole and not in the text terminal/console…

because, when in the text terminal there is no X-Window system (or
KDE) between your finger tips and the operating system…

however, i have NO idea how to prove that, or determine what in X or
KDE might be causing this strange behavior…but, i suggest you try
variations of Fn key presses or cap lock positions to see if you can
learn how you can su to root in a GUI konsole…for example, i have
seen cases where the actual affect of the shift key LIGHT is opposite
what you might think…

hmmmmm…let me ask: has this machine always had this problem or did
it only begin after you moved up to KDE4.3.5 ??

are you also using Compiz? what happens if you turn that off?
what happens if you turn off desktop effects?

if using a laptop (?) or maybe a USB keyboard (?) i want you to
barrow another keyboard, plug it in (while the machine is shut down)
and see if when booted up if you can su to root in a GUI console…

if you can, then you have an incompatible keyboard and need to either
replace it, or figure out the work around…

out of ideas for now…you need to hope a real guru comes back with
some more ideas…

oh: do this in a konsole and copy paste it back to here:


zypper lr -d

–
Enjoy Packman’s benefits? Show your appreciation by donating at
http://se.unixheads.org/?donate

DenverD
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD [posted via NNTP w/openSUSE 10.3]

pistazienfresser · July 8, 2010, 1:59pm

For me it sounds a bit like the default settings in Ubuntu:
Root has an invalid password
but special users (the first user or some other “administrators”) are members of sudoers
and the preferences are set in a way that they can use “sudo” with their own password
(an other possiblility is to allow the sudoers to use sodo with the root password…)

Good luck
pistazienfresser

al-nobani · July 8, 2010, 4:18pm

Wow Wow Wow

Thats perfect
incredible ,

I am using a laptop not PC, I tried your advice to connect en external keyboard with USB then restarted it.
using left Alt+F2 I typed konsole in the box, then su and the system accept the password.
after that i removed the keyboard and try to be su and it is worked successfully lol!
I like that.
Thank you all, Thank you DenverD for your help
I have a perfect Linux now, looking for openSUSE11.3.

your help was, still, and will be appreciated

Best regards,