disable root help

[cbf305]

We had a server hacked and I, being used to running Debian servers, did a passwd root and changed the root password. Only after that I remembered that it was an Ubuntu server, and Ubuntu does something special with the root password so it can't be used. I disabled the root account with passwd -l root, but when I sudo I get a stupid account is disabled error message. I re-enabled root and I gave it a crazy long random password, but is there a way to set it back to the "special" no possible encrypted value password that the installer gives it as described on this page?

https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/serverguide/C/user-management.html

It's 8.10 server.

Thanks!

[bodhi.zazen]

Actually this is a bug in both Debian and Ubuntu :twisted:

This comes up most often on , well servers ;)

To disable (lock) the root account :


sudo usermod --lock root

I am sorry, I no longer have the link to the original bug report in either Debian or Ubuntu, it is an old bug.

[cbf305]

Thank you that worked perfectly. :D

[hyper_ch]

if the server was hacked then you need to re-set it up.