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#1 2008-12-03 04:28:30
- scrawler
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- Registered: 2005-06-07
- Posts: 318
can't su [solved]
I mangled something, because I am no longer able to "su".
I can log in as root, but if I try to su to root I get "incorrect password."
I can also, strange as it is, do "sudo su" and get a root promt like that.
My entire /bin directory is copied straight from the arch install cd (don't ask).
So anyway, is this mess fixable or what?
Last edited by scrawler (2008-12-03 13:53:57)
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#2 2008-12-03 04:58:20
- monstermudder78
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- Registered: 2008-05-18
- Posts: 120
Re: can't su [solved]
Nevermind, I have no idea.
Last edited by monstermudder78 (2008-12-03 04:59:13)
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#3 2008-12-03 07:07:07
- B-Con
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- From: USA
- Registered: 2007-12-17
- Posts: 554
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Re: can't su [solved]
su isn't aliased to something else like "su username", is it? Try su -l root.
Since you copied /bin over manually, what are the permissions of /bin/su? It should be r-sr-xr-x (and owned by root, of course).
Last edited by B-Con (2008-12-03 07:07:22)
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#4 2008-12-03 07:09:58
- Allan
- Pacman
- From: Brisbane, AU
- Registered: 2007-06-09
- Posts: 11,500
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Re: can't su [solved]
Are you sure the password you are trying is correct? You could try changing it using your "sudo su" method.
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#5 2008-12-03 07:49:44
- Stefan Husmann
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- From: Germany
- Registered: 2007-08-07
- Posts: 1,391
Re: can't su [solved]
Maybe a
pwunconv ; pwconv
(as root) does the trick.
Last edited by Stefan Husmann (2008-12-03 07:50:13)
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#6 2008-12-03 12:12:26
- zenlord
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- From: Belgium
- Registered: 2006-05-24
- Posts: 1,223
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Re: can't su [solved]
Recently I have encountered something similar, but I have no idea if it is related:
Sometimes I have to press ENTER twice after entering 'su', and again twice after entering the password. I have no idea what to do to reproduce it (otherwise I would have filed a bug), but it seems limited to the su-command.
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#7 2008-12-03 13:01:43
- scrawler
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- Registered: 2005-06-07
- Posts: 318
Re: can't su [solved]
nothing so far. thanks for the suggestions.
permissions for /bin/su are -rwxr-xr-x
r-sr-xr-x -- what is the octal representation?
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#8 2008-12-03 13:26:12
- Allan
- Pacman
- From: Brisbane, AU
- Registered: 2007-06-09
- Posts: 11,500
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Re: can't su [solved]
It would be easier just to reinstall coreutils in case permissions are wrong elsewhere to.
This page gives you information on the "s" bit of the permissions: http://www.zzee.com/solutions/linux-permissions.shtml
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#9 2008-12-03 13:53:37
- scrawler
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- Registered: 2005-06-07
- Posts: 318
Re: can't su [solved]
ta daaaa! I reinstalled coreutils. su lives again.
thanks!
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#10 2008-12-04 09:44:22
- B-Con
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- From: USA
- Registered: 2007-12-17
- Posts: 554
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Re: can't su [solved]
It was probably that "s" bit. That "s" bit makes the executable run with the permissions of the file's owner. /bin/su must run with root permission, otherwise it has no authority to give you a root shell. /bin/su is owned by root and has to have that "s" bit set, but without that special bit, /bin/su wasn't running with root's permission. sudo su worked because sudo itself was getting and passing along root's authority.
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#11 2008-12-04 19:10:28
- scrawler
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- Registered: 2005-06-07
- Posts: 318
Re: can't su [solved]
ta daaaa!
I just noticed that fits rather nicely with my current avatar...
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