Dear Etch developers: I've done a network install of etch (booting from floppies), telling debconf to ask me low-priority questions, and gotten locked out of root. In the [Setup users and passwords] step, I'm asked ``Allow root login?'' Wanting root to be accessible only from already-logged-in accounts, I say `no', expecting that it'll just empty /etc/securetty.
I'm given no chance to specify a root password, and when
the installation is complete, I can't get into root. `su'
and `sudo' both ask for a password, but I have no idea what
it is, and <CR> doesn't do it.
I restarted the installation, and shelled out ASAP.
/etc/shadow's first entry is:
root:!:13495:0:99999:7:::
(I hope there's nothing confidential in that.) I deleted
the `!', su'd with no password, and set up one. Then I
checked /etc/securetty, and it was its ugly old self: root
can login from pretty much anything physically attached to
the system.
So, the bug is either that it Does The Wrong Thing, or
that the import of the question is obscure, to say the
least. (In the ``what were they thinking'' department, what
good is a machine you can't administer? Are you expected to
install it perfectly, and to never touch anything again?)
This happened two out of two installs. I'm installing on
an HP Pavilion 7855 (32-bit x86), using a 12 December
download of the installer's weekly snapshot. Please tell me
if you need further information, or if I can help in any
other way.
Oh, yeah: thanks for a fabulous OS! :-)
--
Best wishes,
Max Hyre
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