Can't log in a root from anywhere but the console screen.

[Jim Borland]

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Jim Borland

Unit 2  Wallace Studios
27 Wallace Avenue
LisburnBT27 4AE
mail: JimBorland at meridiansystems.co.uk
www: www.meridiansystems.co.uk
tel: +44 (0)28 9260 5060
fax: +44 (0)28 9264 0700
mob: 

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-----Original Message-----

From: Erik Norgaard [mailto:norgaard at locolomo.org] 
Sent: 28 September 2006 09:42
To: Jim Borland
Cc: freebsd-questions at FreeBSD.org
Subject: Re: Can't log in a root from anywhere but the console screen.

Jim Borland wrote:
> I want to use a PC to telnet to the freeBSD server and login as root 
> but it won't let me! Can you help? I can login as a normal user just 
> not as root, I can't key in su to get in as superuser either.

1) Don't use telnet, use ssh, for security.
2) Are you in the wheel group?

Erik suggested I use ssh, I've never used ssh before and when I do it
says "the connection has been refused". 
The "root" user is in the wheel group, I have a user called "jim" which
is in a group called "group" he is able to login using telnet.