Root Login Gone after KDM update

**rusty** · 10-02-2004, 01:36 AM

Hey, I updated a bunch of kde stuff including kdm. Now it won't let me log in as root from the gui , only via the console. "Root logins not allowed"

Hmmm I'm not sure that this is so bad, has anyone else seen it?

**nishtya** · 10-02-2004, 10:07 PM

Yes, Rusty. Same thing has happened to me. Figuring debian has just gone the way of other distros by making it "difficult" for root to log in that way. If you do want to bring up KDE as root, log in as user - all you can. Then escape X with ctrl-alt-F1. You get a login prompt, login as root, then type without quotes "startx". If KDM is your default x desktop environment it will bring up KDM as root.

Before the upgrade, you could type "kdm start" and root could get in. You don't get an error now when you try that way, you got nothing happening. Not sure if it's a feature or a bug :P

Note: you aren't supposed to login to root

**shah** · 10-03-2004, 02:08 AM

It's for sure not a feature. Updating KDE to 3.3 will often break KDM.

Anyway you could try delete your KDM root settings and let it recreate a new one. What you need to do is delete /root/.kderc and /root/.kde.

**Markus** · 10-03-2004, 07:58 AM

Try also setting in /etc/kde3/kdm/kdmrc AllowRootLogin=false to true.

**kelmo** · 10-03-2004, 01:22 PM

I use these tips and never goe wrong.

When you are about to embark on a major apt-get dist-//upgrade and you notice many kde apps (especially kdm) use the download only flag (apt-get upgrade -d).

Then reboot into runlevel 2 (or init 2) making sure that kdm is not active and complete your upgrade.

**nishtya** · 10-03-2004, 04:29 PM

thanks, Markus. When doing the KDE(incl. KDM) upgrade I was notified that there was a "custom" config file, probably kdmrc, and told it to go ahead and write a new one.

I learned in upgrading to say no to debian base new configs and yes to the KDE ones. I don't know why, just my own pet method. So far, so good. Never had an upgrade break my install yet. Glitches, yes. Breakage, no.

Kpackage, which I use, has an option to "see" the differences in the config files but when I choose that option, I get an error message about somethingorother text not supported there.

**rusty** · 10-03-2004, 07:01 PM

Thanks to all:

Try also setting in /etc/kde3/kdm/kdmrc AllowRootLogin=false to true.

Did that and while root doesn't show up on the user list, I can log in by typing root and the password and get an x session going.

I believe this happened when updating kdesktop in a console (alt-f2) session. I have had kdm issues before and will sometimes remove (with --purge) kdm, install xdm or gdm etc.

I wonder if losing the root login was a result of installing in a non gui shell. Anyway thanks again everybody.

**Markus** · 10-03-2004, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by rusty

Try also setting in /etc/kde3/kdm/kdmrc AllowRootLogin=false to true.

Did that and while root doesn't show up on the user list, I can log in by typing root and the password and get an x session going.

Same file a bit further down there's a line: HiddenUsers=root , remove the obvious or change the line ShowUsers=NotHidden to hmm, might be All but I haven't tested.

BTW, I never dist-upgrade. IMHO it's asking for trouble. Nevertheless, kelmo's method is probably the safest when it comes to KDM/E.