[SOLVED] root password at GUI and Text login fail

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warron.french
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[SOLVED] root password at GUI and Text login fail

Post by warron.french » 2015/06/17 01:01:06

So, I recently reinstalled CentOS-6.6 on a machine that was already running just fine; but I had to reimage several workstations because of some work related tasks.

Anyway, after reimaging with a known good kickstart file (and with the only root password I ever used in that environment) I discovered I could no longer login locally as root:

1. not into the GUI on the console, or
2. not even the text login screen works for the root password.

So, I rebooted the machine thinking that maybe somehow I forgot the root password, using the GRUB password, booting to single-user mode, and then executing the passwd command at the shell prompt provided. I was prompted for the New password, and the Confirm password with no issues (the second time, because I typoed the first time).

I rebooted, thinking OK, I can now log into the system from the GUI or the Text login page, but it still didn't work. Can someone suggest a place I can look as to why this is happening? I haven't looked at /var/log/messages yet. Would that be helpful?

Thanks,
Last edited by warron.french on 2016/03/09 22:19:23, edited 1 time in total.
Thanks,
War

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AlanBartlett
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Re: root password at GUI and Text login fail

Post by AlanBartlett » 2015/06/17 13:56:48

Please take a look at the output returned by executing man 5 securetty

I wonder if the file /etc/securetty does not have the relevant entry for the system console?

This is what that file contains on my RHEL6 system --

[Duo2 ~]$ sudo cat /etc/securetty
console
vc/1
vc/2
vc/3
vc/4
vc/5
vc/6
vc/7
vc/8
vc/9
vc/10
vc/11
tty1
tty2
tty3
tty4
tty5
tty6
tty7
tty8
tty9
tty10
tty11
[Duo2 ~]$
Image 100% Linux and, previously, Unix. Co-founder of the ELRepo Project.

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warron.french
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Re: root password at GUI and Text login fail

Post by warron.french » 2015/06/17 19:58:47

Thanks Alan, I did write a security script that would clean that file up, but not wipe those out-- so as a precaution.. I will see if my script failed somehow and perhaps is preventing me from logging in.

Thanks for the 'lesson on fishing,' that is what I was looking for too. ;)
Thanks,
War

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warron.french
Posts: 616
Joined: 2014/03/27 20:21:58

Re: root password at GUI and Text login fail

Post by warron.french » 2016/03/09 22:19:10

The solution for me on this issue; to close out this thread was that auditd wasn't starting properly, and that was preventing the root account from being accessible at any runlevel > 1.

So, I copied back into place the /etc/audit/auditd.conf and /etc/audit/audit.rules files from the backups I had created before ever making system changes.

Now THAT's a SA101 course requirement.
Thanks,
War

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