On Fri, May 22, 2009 at 6:19 PM, dwain <dwain.alf...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > On Fri, May 22, 2009 at 6:09 PM, Douglas A. Tutty <dtu...@vianet.ca> wrote: >> >> > i too was disappointed. i tried su and authentication failed. how do i >> > update my system without being able to log in as root? >> > >> > now i don't mind a spirited discussion on the pros and cons of sudo vs. >> > su, >> > but my original question still has not been answered; and with this new >> > development i am really at a loss. >> > >> > you are saying that sudo and su are not available from a user console, >> > then >> > how do i fix this so i can become root when i need to? >> >> >> Root login from a secure serial console has been described as the >> ultimate command line of last resort. I always have a serial console >> set up in inittab (and in grub too for that matter). I guess if you >> can't log in as root (or otherwise get root), you'll need to boot a live >> CD such as grml and fix whatever is preventing you from getting root. >> >> A last resort would be: >> >> 1. physically disconnect the box from the network. >> 2. boot a live CD >> 3. edit the password file to allow root login without a password >> 4. reboot into the system and log in as root >> 5. passwd as root and give yourself a root password. >> 6. shutdown >> 7. reconnect the box to the network. >> 8. carry on as normal. >> >> >> If you want to use sudo for most things, but have root login available, >> put the root password in a card in an envelope in a locked location. >> You'll know if someone needed the root password by the tear in the >> envelope. Unless it was removed, the root login should be recorded in >> syslog as well. >> > > thanks for the reply. i would definitely need more detailed information for > your solution, but i think i have solved the problem. i have played around > with other linux distros before with the same result as i am experiencing > now, but (now for the solution) none of them had a root terminal like debian > has, or i didn't see one. i could update, although there didn't appear to > be updates available, from this terminal. what a terrific idea. and my > root password worked on the login to the root terminal. > > please don't tell me that using the root terminal is not prescribed, but > tell me if you must. finding the root terminal has made my life with debian > much less stressful. i probably will not be using it very much, except for > updates to the system, but it's nice to know that it works.
I forget and am to lazy to look up the dets of your original post . . . but . . . <grain-o-salt> So . . . you want root(-like) access for upgrading and adding packages? Otherwise, you'll be logging in like like the rest of us drakes ( I think that's the term)? Basically, you want to go from your drake-login to an admin position to do certain things ? </grain-o-salt> Well, it depends upon the privileges of your users (eg. drake). . . look that up (if you don't know)? 'su' is a default command that allows root capabilities and requires root pword. 'sudo' is a non-default package that is similar (as the "interesting" discussion has pointed out). All of this is well documented. In the end, the "interesting" discussion has given you some tid-bits to chew on. User privileges is a very basic thing and I suspect the "interesting" tangent is due to this fact. Perhaps they assume the most basic (although, from some of the posts, it's doubtful). -Neal > > cheers, > dwain > > > > -- > "Fear of the devil is one way of doubting God. " - Kahlil Gibran > -- www.nealhogan.net www.lambdaserver.com -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
