Fedora Core 2 "root" telnet login problem

cclo123 · #1 14th June 2004, 09:35 PM

I installed FC2 in my old PC. I added "pts/0, pts/1, pts/2 and pts/3" into the file /etc/securetty. It will let me login as "root" remotely upto 4 sessions. I discovered that the 1st root login as pts/0. After I logout this session, I re-login as root. This is pts/1 session. After the 4th time login as root remotely, I can't login as root remotely. In FC2 command prompt, I type "last". It show
me that all telnet session are closed. I can login remotely with other user name but the telnet session will be pts/5. The telnet session will be add 1 and will not be changed back to pts/0 or pts/1 except reboot the system.
Does anyone face on this problem before?

cclo123 · #2 18th June 2004, 05:01 PM

Did anyone face on the same problem before?

Jman · #3 19th June 2004, 03:15 AM

I concluded that the pts numbers would keep increasing. Maybe you could add more, but I highly recommend you use ssh. The server should already be running on your Fedora box. ssh doesn't have the pts login problems.

Rivenskye · #4 2nd July 2004, 03:58 AM

I can't telnet or FTP in as root at all... I have to have a user account to do it. Is that security feature or did I set something up wrong?

cclo123 · #5 2nd July 2004, 01:48 PM

In default, root can't connect to Redhat/Fedora system.
Telnet:
Add "pts/0, pts/1, pts/2, pts/3................" to the end of the file "/etc/securetty"
FTP:
Delete the name "root" from the file "/etc/vsftpd.ftpusers"

crackers · #6 2nd July 2004, 04:06 PM

You should never do anything as root over telnet - that is an unsecured protocol that transmits everything, including the password, as plain text. ssh is much preferred and a heckuva lot more reliable...

cclo123 · #7 2nd July 2004, 07:19 PM

TRUE

In default, root cannot telnet and ftp to the server remotely.

Cr0n_J0b · #8 5th July 2004, 06:09 AM

The answer would be to use ssh instead of telnet...I don't ever use telnet anymore...Putty is a great client and you can tunnel with it....It's the right thing to do.

LiNuX-CrUsAdEr · #9 13th November 2004, 04:28 PM

Hi,

I agree with them that instead of using telnet as your remote login service, use SSH. That way, you'll increase the security of your system especially if it is exposed in the Internet. SSH is included in the Fedora Core 2 CD installers. Make sure to disable the telnet service after installing SSH. Also, I suggest that you do not use your root account as your initial login account when accessing your Linux box remotely. Create an ordinary user account that you can use in remote logins and then perform an su after successfully logging in. By default in SSH, initial logging in using root account is allowed however you can disable this under /etc/ssh/sshd_config file by appending the line "PermitRootLogin no". All SSH connections you make will restrict you from using root account initially.