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[SOLVED] su: Authentication service cannot retrieve authentication info.

Error added: 2006-05-30T23:16:46Z

3 people waiting for the answer...

8 answers found.

Answer 164 (83.33333% helpful)

It seems that the user being \"su\"d to has an entry in /etc/passwd, but not in /etc/shadow
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Answer 982 (83.33333% helpful)

run pwconv (see man pwconv)
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Answer 990 (71.42857% helpful)

Please see if /usr/bin/passwd has setuid set.
It should be something like r-s--x--x
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Answer 1730 (66.666664% helpful)

pam config, /etc/pam.d/su, default unix behaviour 

auth     required       pam_unix.so
account  required       pam_unix.so
password required       pam_unix.so
session  required       pam_unix.so

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/pam/Linux-PAM-html/Linux-PAM_SAG.html
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Answer 1123 (60.0% helpful)

Make sure that:
/bin/su belong to root:root with setuid set: -rwsr-xr-x
You can set setuid as: chmod u+s /bin/su and change owner as: chown 0:0 /bin/su
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Answer 979 (0.0% helpful)

exists the su-user in /etc/shadow ?? create it ...
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Answer 1470 (0.0% helpful)

You forgot to set a password for root.
Resolve with `passwd root\'
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Answer 1971 (0.0% helpful)

If you are using nis and added
+::::::
at the end of /etc/passwd,
check to add
+::::::::
at the end of /etc/shadow
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