Try To Login Terminal with Correct Password : Authentication Error Occurs

Asked by gccradioscience

Binary package hint: gnome-terminal

When I try to use the terminal and type in "su" the password prompt comes up. I enter my correct password then this comes up . Here is the proof of what happenned.

gccradioscience@gccradioscience-laptop:~$ su
Password:
su: Authentication failure

When I type in my password to login my net book the password works. The terminal does the opposite when you
use the key abbreviation called "su"

I hope someone can fix this thanks.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.04
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/gnome-terminal
Package: gnome-terminal 2.26.0-0ubuntu2.1
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gnome-terminal
Tags: ubuntu-unr
Uname: Linux 2.6.28-15-generic i686

Question information

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Ubuntu gnome-terminal Edit question
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Revision history for this message
gccradioscience (gccradioscience) said :
#1
Revision history for this message
Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson) said :
#2

Thank you for taking the time to report this issue and helping to make Ubuntu better. Examining the information you have given us, this does not appear to be a bug report so we are closing it and converting it to a question in the support tracker. We appreciate the difficulties you are facing, but it would make more sense to raise problems you are having in the support tracker at https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu if you are uncertain if they are bugs. For help on reporting bugs, see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#When%20not%20to%20file%20a%20bug.

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Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson) said :
#3

This is because when using "su" to get a root shell, you're being asked for the root password. The root account is locked by default on Ubuntu, and therefore does not have a password.

Revision history for this message
Kevin Hunter (hunteke) said :
#4

What is your end goal? Do you want a root login? Then use sudo:

$ sudo su -
[sudo] password for <username>:

Careful though. You can do dangerous things very easily if you do it as root (and Linux is not forgiving). Suggest that you one-off each item with sudo, instead of becoming root.

Revision history for this message
gccradioscience (gccradioscience) said :
#5

I was trying to install the java environment, I had trouble installing.
Someone did not write the commands right on the internet. I wish
there was a easier way designed just for beginners like the .deb files.
Like for example, download a .deb file then go to the gdebi extractor
and then click on "install packages". I wish there was a gdebi that
would install these difficult tar.gz and .bin files. It takes a
rocket scientist to install these files properly. I just don't
know how to do it right.

Adam E.

On Fri, 2009-09-11 at 02:52 +0000, Kevin Hunter wrote:
> Your question #82451 on gnome-terminal in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-terminal/+question/82451
>
> Kevin Hunter proposed the following answer:
> What is your end goal? Do you want a root login? Then use sudo:
>
> $ sudo su -
> [sudo] password for <username>:
>
> Careful though. You can do dangerous things very easily if you do it as
> root (and Linux is not forgiving). Suggest that you one-off each item
> with sudo, instead of becoming root.
>

Revision history for this message
Kevin Hunter (hunteke) said :
#6

In fact, there is an easier way: use the package manager. Unless you really know what you're doing, I'd suggest using synaptic rather than the command line.

System→Administration→Synaptic Package Manager

In the quick search at the top, type 'java' (without quotes), and wait a few seconds for the list to update. You'll be presented with a bunch of packages relating to Java.

A couple of the packages are the core Java for which you're looking:

sun-java6-jre
openjdk-6-jre

It's your choice which one you choose. Right-click and one and mark it for installation. Then click the Apply button (up-top) and let it do it's thing.

Revision history for this message
Kevin Hunter (hunteke) said :
#7

Do you now have Java installed, gccradioscience?

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