Odd root password problem...(RedHat 8)

[P. N. Guin]

Hello all,

I've just installed RedHat 8.0 and am experiencing a wierd problem w/ the root password.

I'm logged in as the local user. When I select a program from the redhat menu that requires the root password, it pops up a box and asks for it. I enter it, and it works, the app. opens.

So I then open a terminal and try to login as root. It says my password is INCORRECT!! :confused:

I don't have caps lock on, and I've even reset the root password using the little app from the menu...

I'm tryin to login in the terminal by typing:

$ login
Login: root
Password: XXXXXXX

then it comes back w/ the incorrect message.

I'm clueless on this one...thanks for any and all help!

(Newbies rule!)

[Bokkenka]

Rather than using login, use the su command. It stands for Substitute User. Check man su from a terminal. It will give you all the options you can use.

If you just su , then you gain the permissions of root. You stay in the current directory and retain your own path.

If you su - , it's like logging in as root. You gain root's permissions, path, and the directory change's to root's home.

To quit a su, you just use the exit command.

If you su -c some_command , it will run just the some_command as if root typed it it.

You can also su to a different user with su user_name .

If you want to do a real login as root, there are two ways...

If you boot straight to X, then you can hit [ctrl]+[alt]+[f#] . Replace the # with 2 through 6. This will bring up an actual terminal login. You can then get back to X with [alt]+[f7] .

If you boot to a terminal, then you can hit [alt]+[f#] , again, # = 2 through 6, to get to another terminal. This time, [alt]+[f1] will get you back to where you started.

<< EDIT >>

I forgot to explain that login is a root command, so it won't work correctly if run as a user. You can run it as root, but it clobbers your original root login.

[P. N. Guin]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm sure glad I know about this site, and that the Linux community is willing to help needy n00bees like me.

Thanks again,


P.N. Guin