Re: [cobalt-users] Admin can't su to root

[shimi <shimi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 8 Jun 2001, The Thieving Gypsy wrote:

> Hi list,
> 
> I've got a really frustrating problem with a Cobalt RaQ4....
> 
> I started to get problems FTPing to a new site, and as the site was the 30th
> site on this box, I thought that this might have been caused by the old
> problem of admin being a member of too many groups, so I telneted in to
> remove admin from a couple of groups in /etc/group.  The only problem is
> that the server won't let me su to root - it comes up with "incorrect
> password".  I have tried resetting the password from the GUI, but it has no
> effect - it changes the admin password, but I still can't su to root.  I
> have also reset the password on the console with a paperclip, but although
> this resets the admin password, it doesn't resync the root password....
> 
> I also have a root2 account on this server, with UID and GID of 0, but I
> can't su to this account either.
> 
> In case there was some problem with the admin account, I created a shell
> account from the GUI, and telneted in with that.  Again, I can't su to
> either root or root2....
> 
> I am at a complete loss as to how to get back root access into this server -
> any ideas would be greatly appreciated
> 
> Thanks,
>               Dave Rowlands
> 
> Verio UK

U prolly erased yourself from the "wheel" group - the group that u must be
in, in order to su to a priviliged account

I guess that what u can do is.. uhm... build some RPM with a new
/etc/group file, which contains ur current one plus ur user in the wheel
group, and make it a .pkg, and install it through the admin GUI

(or boot in single user mode if the machine is physically accessible)

and next time... don't remove your user from the wheel group :-)

- shimi.