passwd demon failing?

[Nigel Wade]

David Harris wrote:
> Hi
> 
> using fedora core on a toshiba tecra M2 laptop.
> 
> its a dual boot using grub with windows xp
> 
> I have been using it regularly with no troubles. All patches including
> latest kernel have been applied.
> 
> yesterday i installed httpd, ftp and samba, again i downloaded all patches.
> 
> I am using the default fedora gui, when i try to log in as a user or root, i
> immediately get the message "authentication failed"
> 
> So i booted in single user mode, changed the passwd and tried again. same
> message.
> 
> It's as if the auth demon is not listening as it spits me out straight away.
> root or normal user
> 
> is there anything i can check to make sure this is listening? if not any
> clues as to why this has all of a sudden happened? has samba corrupted
> something?
> 
> 
> 
> cheers
> 

Have you used authconfig to setup LDAP authentication by any chance? These 
are the symptoms of LDAP failing (LDAP server not running, or not 
contactable). In this situation no logins work, not even root.

-- 
Nigel Wade, System Administrator, Space Plasma Physics Group,
             University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
E-mail :    nmw at ion.le.ac.uk
Phone :     +44 (0)116 2523548, Fax : +44 (0)116 2523555