While a client is being installed (FAI_FLAGS=verbose,sshd,reboot 
FAI_ACTION=install), I can ssh into it as 'root' with the password defined in
/etc/fai/nfsroot.conf (FAI_ROOTPW variable) but when FAI stops and bails out 
due to some error, FAI sends all the logs back to the install
server and then does(?) something else (see second section) which includes 
changing the root password... am I correct?

After that root password change, I'm not able to login anymore (see third 
section).

Where is that password change defined?

# first section
Jun 17 08:38:24 ip-172-16-16-117 sshd[1010]: Accepted password for root from 
172.16.16.200 port 52056 ssh2
Jun 17 08:38:24 ip-172-16-16-117 sshd[1010]: pam_unix(sshd:session): session 
opened for user root by (uid=0)
Jun 17 08:38:24 ip-172-16-16-117 sshd[1010]: pam_env(sshd:session): Unable to 
open env file: /etc/default/locale: No such file or directory
Jun 17 08:38:27 ip-172-16-16-117 sshd[1010]: Received disconnect from 
172.16.16.200 port 52056:11: disconnected by user
Jun 17 08:38:27 ip-172-16-16-117 sshd[1010]: Disconnected from user root 
172.16.16.200 port 52056
Jun 17 08:38:27 ip-172-16-16-117 sshd[1010]: pam_unix(sshd:session): session 
closed for user root

# second section
Jun 17 08:39:55 ip-172-16-16-117 groupadd[1505]: group added to /etc/group: 
name=rpc, GID=32
Jun 17 08:39:55 ip-172-16-16-117 groupadd[1505]: group added to /etc/gshadow: 
name=rpc
Jun 17 08:39:55 ip-172-16-16-117 groupadd[1505]: new group: name=rpc, GID=32
Jun 17 08:39:55 ip-172-16-16-117 useradd[1513]: new user: name=rpc, UID=32, 
GID=32, home=/var/lib/rpcbind, shell=/sbin/nologin
Jun 17 08:39:56 ip-172-16-16-117 groupadd[1545]: group added to /etc/group: 
name=rpcuser, GID=29
Jun 17 08:39:56 ip-172-16-16-117 groupadd[1545]: group added to /etc/gshadow: 
name=rpcuser
Jun 17 08:39:56 ip-172-16-16-117 groupadd[1545]: new group: name=rpcuser, GID=29
Jun 17 08:39:56 ip-172-16-16-117 useradd[1554]: new user: name=rpcuser, UID=29, 
GID=29, home=/var/lib/nfs, shell=/sbin/nologin
Jun 17 08:39:59 ip-172-16-16-117 passwd[1658]: pam_unix(passwd:chauthtok): 
password changed for root                  <<<<<<================ root PASS 
CHANGE

# third section
Jun 17 08:42:02 ip-172-16-16-117 sshd[37222]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): 
authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= 
rhost=172.16.16.200  user=root
Jun 17 08:42:05 ip-172-16-16-117 sshd[37222]: Failed password for root from 
172.16.16.200 port 52069 ssh2




         \!/
        (@ @)
+-oOO----(_)-------+
| Matteo GUGLIELMI |
|  *HPC Engineer*  |
|                  |
|   www.dalco.ch   |
+--------------oOO-+
       |__|__|
        || ||
       ooO Ooo

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