FreeBSD 8 LiveFS - How To Start SSHD?

[Jeff Tipton]

On 12/25/2011 07:42 AM, Drew Tomlinson wrote:
> On 12/24/2011 9:05 PM, Adam Vande More wrote:
>> On Sat, Dec 24, 2011 at 4:35 PM, Drew Tomlinson 
>> <drew at mykitchentable.net <mailto:drew at mykitchentable.net>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>     I can do the "Configure the network connection", the  "setup login
>>     shell for root", and the "Prepare SSH" part.  However the "Enable,
>>     configure, and start sshd" part doesn't seem to apply and really
>>     doesn't make sense.
>>
>>     Bottom line is that after running /mnt2/use/sbin/sshd, I can see
>>     the process in ps output.  However when I attempt to connect to
>>     sshd as root, my connection is immediately closed.
>>
>>
>>
>> ssh -vv
>
> Thank you.  That led me to know that my host.allow file wasn't right.  
> Fixed that.  Now failing when keyboard-interactive packet is sent.  
> Thinking it's the PermitRootLogin yes problem.  Have created a 
> sshd_config file set to yes and used the -f /path/to/file switch when 
> starting sshd.  Have also tried using -o 'PermitRootLogin yes' when 
> starting.  Still not
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Drew
>
It is the default behavior of sshd to reject root, and the reason is 
security. I, personally (and I think most of the guys there out), just 
leave it that way. Just access your server with "ssh 
<your-login-name>@<your-server-ip-or-dns-address>, and then issue "su" 
command to become root. It will ask you the root password which you 
should know if you installed the system. When you have done all the 
system maintenance that you wanted, press <ctrl>-d. It will move you 
back to your personal shell and environment, out of root privileges. 
Press the <ctrl>-d the second time, and you are disconnected from your 
server.