help !!!!!

[Ruben de Groot]

On Wed, Aug 18, 2004 at 10:04:53AM -0400, Jerry McAllister typed:
> > 
> > hi,
> > 
> > please be more specific when asking a question. Read 
> > http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/articles/freebsd-questions/ 
> > about how to ask question on this list.
> > 
> > as a second note, read the User Account Management documentation 
> > (http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/users.html).
> > 
> > > I installed FREEBSD 5.2.1. I can telnet to Free BSD box from Windows 2000
> > > client. I can telnet to it with my USERNAME and PASSWORD. Then I want to be
> > > root. So I issue SU - ( or SU - root).  then FreeBSD box asks me the
> > > password (root's password ).
> > > when I give root's password, FreeBSD box does not accept . Why ? Pls help me
> > > ...
> 
> You need to be in the wheel group to su to root.

He is. Otherwise, he would not have gotten a password prompt:

testuser at localhost$ su -
su: Sorry
testuser at localhost$

> You can add your id to group wheel either logged in as root or
> in single user mode.
>  
> > it's a very bad idea to use telnet for obvious security reasons. Use 
> > ssh. Please note that toor and root both have a password of their own 
> > and you'll have to be in their group in order to su.
> 
> Although ssh is a better (more secure) way, it does not have anything
> to do with the question and neither does this about root and toor.
> 
> The whole issue is being in the wheel group.

No, it is not. Either he forgot his root password or there's no password
at all (have you tried just hitting return when asked for root's password?)

In case of forgotten rootpassword, maybe this will help:

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/faq/admin.html#FORGOT-ROOT-PW

cheers,
Ruben