Thank you all who helped !
the problem was the security databases were corrupted.
I could go to a command line and login as root to avoid booting single user.
But I couldn't edit the password....
Running /usr/tcb/bin/authck -a -v showed a lot of errors (which I expected)
Running convauth seemed to clear up the corruption!
>I've been told I have to be part of the system group to "su"
>And I've tried logging into command line, which allows root login,
>but it says Security databases corrupt,
>and when I try to execute passwd, it says can't access protected password
>
>What's the procedure to fix corrupted security databases?
>
>I'm trying to avoid bringing it to single user mode since it's an active
>system and is usable by others for now. If necessary, I will try that at
>the end of the day once all other options are exhausted.
>
>Thanks
>
>>Help! I cannot login as root!
>>I've tried remotely and at the console... it just says
>>Connection closed by foreign host.
>>
>>I can't su to it either (I don't know why but that has never worked)
>>
>>Can someone please help?
>>We're running Dec Unix 4.0b with enhanced security.
>>
>>I kind of doubt it's a hack, probably my screw up... I was using secsetup
>>and inadvertantly switched back to Base security... so I switched it back
>>to enhanced.
>>Root hasn't worked since but all other users seem to be working fine.
>>
====================================
Dan Kirkpatrick dkirk_at_physics.syr.edu
Systems Administrator
Department of Physics
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
http://www.phy.syr.edu Fax: (315) 443-9103
====================================
Received on Mon Apr 20 1998 - 22:01:16 NZST