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

[Dustin Coates]

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
[mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Jim Borland
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2006 4:22 AM
To: freebsd-questions at FreeBSD.org
Subject: RE: Can't log in a root from anywhere but the console screen.

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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: 

-----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.



The best thing to do is to add the user "jim" to the wheel group, then you
should be able to login as him over ssh, then su to superuser, and do
virtually everything root can do. It is considered a security risk to allow
root access to ssh. But it's your server. So if you want root to be able to
login despite my warning.  Edit "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" and find
"#PermitRootLogin no", remove the hash, and change the "no" to "yes"