Root Password

**paulrbarnard** · 01-20-2005, 03:54 PM

I have the
"Apparently, however, in some versions of Knoppix, if you type 'sudo -s', it will ask for a password. If you simply press return without entering anything, it will tell you 'Authentication Failed."
problem.

I have a notebook with no floppy or CD. I have used Knoppix on another computer to Netboot the notebook and that all goes fine and dandy. I now want to execute the installation script to get Knoppix onto the HD. I need to be root but root won't play. su, sudo, root terminal etc all fail. I have tried 2.4 and 2.6 kernel. The download checks out and root works fine on the server PC.

Anyone got any ideas? I seem to be somewhat stuck at this point. I'm using 3.7, has anyone done this with one of the other releases? if so whch one should I try.

Thanks

**UnderScore** · 01-20-2005, 04:37 PM

It is possible that the netboot scripts disable root access as a security feature. I have only used netboot, umm Knoppix Terminal server using PXE boot right??, once and that was only prove to me that it worked. I do faintly remember not being able to su or sudo.
Sorry I can't be of much help.
James

**paulrbarnard** · 01-20-2005, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by UnderScore

It is possible that the netboot scripts disable root access as a security feature. James

That's what I wondered too. I kicked off a download of clusterknoppix (which says it provides root to all the clients) about 15 minutes ago. Another 30 minutes to go before I can find out though. I suspect that the install scripts have been removed from that one so I may be into roll your own territory.

I have trawled the net for the last couple of days and there seem to be plenty of people suggesting using Knoppix-terminalserver to install to a CD/Floppy less system. I wonder how many people have actually done it though. Ah well I'll get there in the end.

Thanks for the suggestions

**paulrbarnard** · 01-20-2005, 07:08 PM

As UnderScore suggested root is disabled on a netboot from knoppix-terminalserver. I used a copy of clusterknoppix which has the option to enable root on the client computer. That let me execute knoppix-installer and I now have a bootable install on the notebook HD. It's been a painfull process getting there but unbelievably simple when the ducks lined up.

I'll add a feature request to have a root enable in the standard knoppix-terminalserver.