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Unable to login into root using su command

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santhosh.cnp
Posts: 4
Joined: 2008-08-19 17:03

Unable to login into root using su command

#1 Post by santhosh.cnp »

Hi all,
I am new to linux. I have installed debian linux in my computer. After that I installed the application python, c++, mozilla. After that i couldn't able to login root account for further installation.
while using su command i am gettring following error,

Code: Select all

santhosh@debian:~$ su root
Password:
Cannot execute santhosh: No such file or directory
santhosh@debian:~$
I am sure i gave correct root password, if i give wrong root password output is,

Code: Select all

santhosh@debian:~$ su root
Password:
su: Authentication failure
Sorry.
santhosh@debian:~$

Also i tried to access User Account in GUI (Desktop->Administration->Users and Groups) linux asking root password, after that i am getting error window,
Failed to run users-admin as user root.
Failed to Communicate with gksu-run-helper.
Received:
ssword:
While expecting:
gksu: waiting

Please help me,
Regards,
Santhosh
[/code]

User avatar
jtodd
Posts: 457
Joined: 2008-06-04 01:24
Location: Michigan

#2 Post by jtodd »

Try just su instead of su root.
Debian GNU/Linux Sid | Intel Celeron 2.2GHz | 224mb RAM | 27GB HD | 320GB Ext. HD | dwm

User avatar
industrialpunk
Posts: 731
Joined: 2007-03-07 22:30
Location: San Diego, CA, USA

#3 Post by industrialpunk »

This seems weird, but did you change the name of root's shell in /etc/passwd from "/bin/bash" to "santosh"?

It should look like

Code: Select all

root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
-Josh Willingham

santhosh.cnp
Posts: 4
Joined: 2008-08-19 17:03

#4 Post by santhosh.cnp »

jtodd wrote:Try just su instead of su root.
I am getting same error,

Code: Select all

santhosh@debian:~$ su
Password:
Cannot execute santhosh: No such file or directory
santhosh@debian:~$

santhosh.cnp
Posts: 4
Joined: 2008-08-19 17:03

#5 Post by santhosh.cnp »

industrialpunk wrote:This seems weird, but did you change the name of root's shell in /etc/passwd from "/bin/bash" to "santosh"?

It should look like

Code: Select all

root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
passwd file content as follows,
root:x:0:0:root:/root:santhosh
daemon:x:1:1:daemon:/usr/sbin:/bin/sh
bin:x:2:2:bin:/bin:/bin/sh
sys:x:3:3:sys:/dev:/bin/sh
sync:x:4:65534:sync:/bin:/bin/sync
games:x:5:60:games:/usr/games:/bin/sh
man:x:6:12:man:/var/cache/man:/bin/sh
lp:x:7:7:lp:/var/spool/lpd:/bin/sh
mail:x:8:8:mail:/var/mail:/bin/sh
news:x:9:9:news:/var/spool/news:/bin/sh
uucp:x:10:10:uucp:/var/spool/uucp:/bin/sh
proxy:x:13:13:proxy:/bin:/bin/sh
www-data:x:33:33:www-data:/var/www:/bin/sh
backup:x:34:34:backup:/var/backups:/bin/sh
list:x:38:38:Mailing List Manager:/var/list:/bin/sh
irc:x:39:39:ircd:/var/run/ircd:/bin/sh
gnats:x:41:41:Gnats Bug-Reporting System (admin):/var/lib/gnats:/bin/sh
nobody:x:65534:65534:nobody:/nonexistent:/bin/sh
Debian-exim:x:100:102::/var/spool/exim4:/bin/false
statd:x:101:65534::/var/lib/nfs:/bin/false
identd:x:102:65534::/var/run/identd:/bin/false
messagebus:x:103:104::/var/run/dbus:/bin/false
avahi:x:104:105:Avahi mDNS daemon,,,:/var/run/avahi-daemon:/bin/false
haldaemon:x:105:108:Hardware abstraction layer,,,:/home/haldaemon:/bin/false
gdm:x:106:111:Gnome Display Manager:/var/lib/gdm:/bin/false
hplip:x:107:7:HPLIP system user,,,:/var/run/hplip:/bin/false
santhosh:x:1000:1000:santhosh,,,:/home/santhosh:/bin/bash

How could I change

Code: Select all

root:x:0:0:root:/root:santhosh
to

Code: Select all

root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
I couldn`t modify the file. (I have no permission to modify this file).
Can you give any idea to enter into the root account.

User avatar
industrialpunk
Posts: 731
Joined: 2007-03-07 22:30
Location: San Diego, CA, USA

#6 Post by industrialpunk »

You can try booting into single user mode from the Grub prompt at boot.

If that fails because of the bad passwd file, you can try the following.


Reboot,

1) At Grub prompt press 'e' to edit command before booting.

2) Select kernel line

3) press 'e' to edit that line

4) Type following line at end of root line
init=/bin/sh

5) then press 'b'

You should then boot into a single user shell


If that also fails you can boot from a livecd, mount your linux hard drive, and edit the /etc/passwd file on your system (don't confuse it with the /etc/passwd on the livecd filesystem.)

How did you mess up your passwd file anyways?
-Josh Willingham

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