Tumbleweed.. Problem with "root' login

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

Since my last update of Tumbleweed… I have not been able to login as root to do any maintenance of my system. I am using Plasma as my desktop. My system is configured to weekly download any update and inform me to install them, this part of the process works ok as I do not have to enter the root password to complete this task.

My issue is when I launch Yast, it ask for the root password. When I enter the root password and it returns the message login incorrect please try again. I cannot login as 'root. Thinking I may have messed up somewhere,. I have done a fresh install and nothing has changed. I am still not able to use the root login whenever it is required for an operation. It will not accept my root password.

What is the cause of this failure?

Any help is much appreciated

#2

No problem here. This is Tumbleweed updated to 20170913.

I am currently updating to 20170924 (just released today). I’ll check again after that update has completed (and rebooted).

It isn’t clear at what level is your update. You can check with

cat /etc/os-release
#3

Still not seeing this problem after updating to 20170924.

#4

Here is the system update info.

…~> cat /etc/os-release
NAME=“openSUSE Tumbleweed”

VERSION=“20170913”

ID=opensuse
ID_LIKE=“suse”
VERSION_ID=“20170913”
PRETTY_NAME=“openSUSE Tumbleweed”
ANSI_COLOR=“0;32”
CPE_NAME=“cpe:/o:opensuse:tumbleweed:20170913”
BUG_REPORT_URL=“https://bugs.opensuse.org”
HOME_URL=“https://www.opensuse.org/”

#5

Is the keyboard configured correctly?
If you can change it.
Start Opensuse at Grub click> e > at the bottom of the kernel line add> init = / sbin / bash> and start
At the root prompt type> passwd> the change and then restart

If you do not trust, look for other solutions

#6

You using zypper dup to update this is a must for tumbleweed you can not use the notify program to update.

#7

thank for the surgession
Yes the keyboard is configured correctly… I have checked it.
I am using tumbleweed…
I will try the grub option.

#8

I have been using the Software Update in the Panel which I have always used. This is the first time I have come across this problem with the login. As I mentioned before I did a fresh re-install ’ not zypper dup, and the problem was still there ‘password not recognised’.

#9

But in the terminal you can upgrade with zypper, so accept the pass!

Try

sudo zypper in libyui-qt-graph8 libyui-qt-pkg8 libyui-qt8
#10

On Tue 26 Sep 2017 11:16:02 PM CDT, machanch wrote:

gogalthorp;2839605 Wrote:
> You using zypper dup to update this is a must for tumbleweed you can
> not use the notify program to update.

I have been using the Software Update in the Panel which I have always
used. This is the first time I have come across this problem with the
login. As I mentioned before I did a fresh re-install ’ not zypper dup,
and the problem was still there ‘password not recognised’.

Hi
During (re)install did you check the keyboard output when entering
the root password… sounds like maybe the numlock key may be on during
install and not noticed?

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#11

In TW only use zypper dup for updates Using anything else can break your system.

#12

I also use yast successfully to upgrade

#13

Haven’t seen a root password problem since very early versions of openSUSE.

When I had that problem,
I was able to resolve by

  1. Rebooting and logging in as root instead of as the default User
  2. While logged in as root, reset the root password (even if it’s the same).
  3. Reboot and log in as the default User
  4. Test your apps that require root authentication.

HTH,
TSU

#14

And how to log in as root when you do not know the password (or, as in this case, you think you know it, but it does not “work”)?

The only thing is to boot into recovery mode.

#15

The problem I described wasn’t that the root password was unknown or incorrect, only that it wouldn’t work when trying to elevate privilege.
So, there was no problem logging in as root, and then what I did resolved whatever the inconsistency was that allowed privilege elevation.

TSU

#16

Well, when that worked for you, you have a point.

It sounds strange to me. IMHO you could then also change the password by using from a terminal emulator

su -

and then change the password. It would update the password in /etc/shadow in exact the same way as in your solution.

#17

Boot to the Grub menu, and when you see it, hit the “e” key.

Scroll down to the line that begins with Linux (or similar, depends on EFI or not).

Hit the End key to get to the end of the line.

Type a space, then type:

init=/bin/sh

This should get you to a minimal system without having to enter a password as root.

Test your keyboard at this point to see if the numlock is on or off, and to make sure the caps lock is not on.

Okay? Good, then:

passwd

and enter a new password for root. As a test, make it a simple, uncomplicated one. You can always change it when you are back up and working.

#18

Sorry for not responding earlier…

Ok when I did the last re-install… It was fresh, re-formated the / [root] partition. Went through the process to install system, created my user as normal only this time I allowed the system to use the same password for root as this user. No auto login… The password consisted of both numbers, letters and other ascii characters.

On completion, reboot to login screen. Login a normal user all ok… Once on the desktop I launch Yast, it ask for root password, Enter the password same as user password. The same message as before, it ask to re-enter root password… Something on my system is messing up the root password.

It worth adding here my system is multi-user 8 persons have access to use this desktop. And each has their own preference for desktop. So on mine I have Plasma, Gnome and Xfce, as KDE is my preferred desktop that is the default when the system is booted up. I have tried the root user on all 3 desktop and the same thing happens.

#19

Have you tried it without a desktop?

That is to say:

CTRL-ALT-F1 should get a virtual console. Can you login there as root?

#20

Problem was, that was what was broken.
:slight_smile:

TSU