Can no longer ssh into box as a normal user

Parabola · n00b Joined: 29 Aug 2002 Posts: 54

only as root.

What changed?

Seems to have started after a -u world that updated baselayout. I've looked through the sshd_config file but nothing seems obvious. I've never had to do anything to make this work before....
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Josh

rac · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 4:54 pm Post subject:

You didn't happen to overwrite your /etc/passwd, did you?
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For every higher wall, there is a taller ladder

Parabola · n00b Joined: 29 Aug 2002 Posts: 54

Nope, it still looks good.
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Josh

Dalrain · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 7:09 pm Post subject:

I am also having this problem, same check on the password file and all after the latest baselayout change. It all still looks good, and I can still login from the console, just regular users can no longer SSH. No joy

Dalrain · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 7:15 pm Post subject:

Note: This happens with two systems of mine, both running withOUT the unstable flag, if that makes any difference. Could be something got weird with the stable systems only?

rac · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 7:18 pm Post subject:

Does running ssh with the -v flag give any useful hints?
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For every higher wall, there is a taller ladder

theclaus · n00b Joined: 08 Oct 2002 Posts: 64 Location: Boise, ID

Okay I had this problem and someone on IRC helped me out. This is what he said to do.

[08:45] <vegai> TheClaus: try usermod -s /bin/bash user

When I did that it worked. Though while I was at it I also did a etc-update. After that I tried ssh as normal user and it worked great.

Parabola · n00b Joined: 29 Aug 2002 Posts: 54

Dalrain · Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2002 1:32 am Post subject:

This fix also did it for me....also, I don't know why it changed....all that could have happened was whatever occurred during the update..

Ah well, many thanks, my system is happy again

mooman · Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2002 2:07 am Post subject:

If 3 different people had this, this ought to get published as an FAQ or Tip/Trick. (I'd say the former since it sounds more like fixing something broken than just handy advice...)
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Linux user off and on since circa 1995

nick58b · Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2002 9:14 am Post subject:

Make that four. I had this problem on both my gentoo boxes after the last emerge -u world.

fleed · l33t Joined: 28 Aug 2002 Posts: 756 Location: London

Count another one. Started having the problem only after last emerge -u world. Must be tighter security in something that was updated, maybe pam?

ibrandt · n00b Joined: 13 Sep 2002 Posts: 24

I got this too, and just updated baselayout as well, but it only effected one of the two user accounts I have setup. Thank goodness that was the case, because I have 'PermitRootLogin no' in sshd_config, and my box is co-located!

rlyacht · Apprentice Joined: 17 Apr 2002 Posts: 170

I just had this problem and the usermod -s /bin/bash user fix worked for me. can someone explain what happened?
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It's spelled Raymond Luxury-Yacht, but it's pronounced Throat-Warbler Mangrove.

Dalrain · Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2002 8:39 pm Post subject:

Hmmm...just a thought, but did this happen to only the user you su'ed from to do your emerging as root? I have a habit of using su - to do my tasks, and the user I su'ed from would be the one that had this problem. Is this perhaps the same for others? Or am I totally just thinking incorrectly?

ibrandt · n00b Joined: 13 Sep 2002 Posts: 24

rac · Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2002 12:37 am Post subject:

For people who got fixed by running "usermod -s /bin/bash", I suspect that you had created users with no login shell.
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For every higher wall, there is a taller ladder

clattuc · n00b Joined: 19 Apr 2002 Posts: 57

Parabola · n00b Joined: 29 Aug 2002 Posts: 54

yottabit · Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 10:01 pm Post subject:

Yes, the listed command will simply add a "/bin/bash" shell selection to the user definition in the "/etc/passwd" file.

I noticed the same thing, but instead of using the command as stated, I just manually edited /etc/passwd with "nano -w /etc/passwd" and tagged on a "/bin/bash" to the end of the user with the problem.

I can't believe I would have created this user without a shell definition in the first place, but anything is possible, and I have no reason to believe that the user had ever logged in via ssh before...

If sshd was authenticating users without shells, that's a security bug. So the fact that it has been fixed with the latest round of updates is a Good Thing (tm).

Cheers,

J

doll1 · Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2002 1:05 pm Post subject:

Helpful thread

gtsquirrel · Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2002 5:55 pm Post subject: VERY Helpful

This was a very helpful thread. I guess we're all used to distros that auto-set the shell to some default. Thanks a lot for the help, everyone!

chris

Ti_Uhl · n00b Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Posts: 6 Location: Belgium

Hello,

If u look at your pam config for ssh login u can see that in order for a user to log in it needs to have a valid shell. This is for security reasons... so either add a valid shell to the /etc/passwd or change your pam config

Greetz Ti_Uhl