root user passwords for server and operating system

Bloke2

• February 19, 2015 09:19

Forgive me but I an new to setting up servers and working with cPanel. We are switching servers and I am making sure everything is secure. When I set up the dedicated server I had just one user name for example "myname123". Is "myname123" considered the user and also a root user? When I log in to my control panel it allows me to change "server access" by changing root and "myname123". But then in CPanel to change root password it says "change the 'root' password for the operating system" I am trying to understand, will have a password for operating system and another for the server?

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  Infopro

  • February 19, 2015 18:24

  root user's name is root. Logging in with myname123 might give you access to "Everything" assuming that account is setup as a Reseller account, but he's not root user.

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  Bloke2

  • February 25, 2015 14:41

  I am not a reseller. I have the server and I host 4 websites. But I never specified "root". So I am just confused. I have "Password Authentication currently enabled" . I can log in as myname123 in SSH. This is what my main account user name is for the sever. But if I login with SSH as root it says denied. When I provisioned the server I choose the username of myname123.

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  Infopro

  • February 25, 2015 14:59

  I can log in as myname123 in SSH.
  Once you do, type in: su and hit enter. If things go well, you'll be asked for root password.

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  Bloke2

  • February 25, 2015 15:26

  After I logged in it said Using keyboard-interactive authentication. # su - -bash: /bin/su: Permission denied Is it supposed ot be set up like this for security? Or can I test a command with myname? Sorry I am just confused with what access root vs myname123 has. I login via Godaddy with one username and password and then I click manage server.

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  Infopro

  • February 25, 2015 15:37

  You might want to contact your Hosting Provider about this. is this helpful? /https://support.godaddy.com/help/article/12270/enabling-admin-root-access-on-your-managed-or-fully-managed-server

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  Bloke2

  • February 25, 2015 15:47

  Thanks I checked that and it said Enabled. They were in there yesterday. "Enable your admin (root and sudo) access permission. I read "direct root access disabled by default" on most servers. I think I need to add my username Manage Wheel Group Users. But I see from reports they are logging in as root. I assume myname123 is called a admin name?

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  Infopro

  • February 25, 2015 16:08

  I don't have any experience with GoDaddy servers, so can't answer that. They can though. :)

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  Bloke2

  • February 25, 2015 17:27

  I noticed at the top of WHM it says "root". But I never had to enter a password for root. I tried SSH again and su- and it worked. The password was the same for myname123. I had to add myname123 to the wheel group. So I assume myname123 is a admin user, once signed into Godaddy it lets me go to "manage server" and there is no other password to enter. I will try to straighten it out with them. Because on their front end they have the option of "changing "root and myname123" yet inside WHM it says "change the 'root' password for the operating system"

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  Bloke2

  • February 25, 2015 19:37

  I got it straightend out with Godaddy. When you login to your main account, it treats you as the root user. And there is no additional login or password. All you do is click "manage servers". And they said to change password for myusername and root inside the Server Dashboard which changes it in WHM. myusername123 has to be in wheel group and then I can switch to root in SSH. Glad I figured this out because a person who has access to all Godaddy products such as domains and payment history should not be able to click a button and have root access to the server. You can do all the protection you want on the server level, and if someone gains access to your Godaddy account they they have access to the server.

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