drangina | # 1 | 2010-05-20, 19:26 | Report

I installed Open SSH server and client. During installation i did not set any password. I just let it install like this.

Then through X term i tried to change a new password and it shows succeeded. i tried three times with new password with success

Now when i am trying to log in through winscp it cannot log me in with new password but when i try to log in with default password 'rootme' it logs me in.
I even reinstalled Open SSH but this time it did not ask me for any password during installation.

What is the solution?

Pretoriano | # 2 | 2010-05-20, 20:27 | Report

I don't know if i'm understanding, but if you want to change the root password, enter as root in terminal and type "passwd"

drangina | # 3 | 2010-05-20, 21:04 | Report

alright i solved it
earlier i was changing user password only by typing

passwd user

but when i typed
passwd root

it gave me option to change my root password.

rich c | # 4 | 2010-05-20, 21:36 | Report

Personally, I disallow remote root logins. Much better to login as user and then become root. From a security point of view.

drangina | # 5 | 2010-05-21, 13:20 | Report

Can you explain how can i log in through SSH as user not as root

bmouring | # 6 | 2010-05-21, 21:09 | Report

Some basic steps and their reasons:

• Add a password for the user account ("user"), it sounds like you may have already done this, you may want to have a different password than the root password, however.
  
  Code:

  //as root
  passwd user
  //enter a new password

• Open and edit the sshd configuration file (exists at /etc/ssh/sshd_config)
  Here, we want to either disallow root logins:
  
  Code:

  ...
  PermitRootLogin yes
  ...
  //Change this to "no" to prevent root logins

  ... or specifically spell out which users are allowed to login
  
  Code:

  ...
  AllowUsers user
  //This line doesn't exist in the installed config file, so it'd need to be added
  ...

  Either of these (or both) should net what you want.
• Once you've made the changes, restart the sshd daemon, eitehr by using the handy sshd status application or, again, as root
  
  Code:

  /etc/init.d/ssh restart

That should get you on your way.

giannoug | # 7 | 2010-05-21, 21:11 | Report

The user account can simply become root by typing sudo gainroot, so I don't think that it is a big security hole The intruder can see your files in user and root accounts.