> 
> On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 20:47:40 +0100 (BST), Steve Blinkhorn
> <steve@prd.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> > > 
> > > On Fri, Jun 30, 2006 at 07:16:14PM +0100, Steve Blinkhorn wrote:
> > > > I think I see where the problem may lie.   The window I currently have
> > > > open onto this machine is a su shell.   But if I try to su again, I
> > > > get "pam_start failed".   IIRC this relates to the warning in the
> > > > docs and what I am most concerned about.
> > > 
> > > Yes, PAM should be the only big problem. You can install /etc/pam.d from
> > > the 3.0 etc.tar.gz, that should make PAM working.
> > > 
> > > There used to be a UsePam=no option you could add to /etc/ssh/sshd_config to
> > > make it not use PAM, but I can't find this in the docuementation now.
> > > 
> > 
> > Unfortunately I no longer have a working tar (otherwise I could just
> > untar 1.6.2 executables from the ISO image I had intended to mount,
> > rather than the 3.0 I actually did).   So the question is whether
> > there is a way to circumvent PAM so I can login remotely if I get my
> > ISP to reboot with the 3.0 kernel.
> > 
> Try doing
> 
> 	echo 'UsePam no' >>/etc/ssh/sshd_config
> 
> to add the line.  (Yes, that's the right option; I use it.)
> 

Presumably that will only affect ssh connections - I'm not sure sshd
is set up properly on this machine (more of a long story about why I'm
having to do all this).

> Do any of the commands in /rescue work?  I see tar there.

Some do - but then a few from /bin and /usr/bin do anyway.   	It's
the combination of the new system call(s) and PAM that looks as if I
may have a real problem.

> 
> Does cat work?  Cat the proper files from some other machine in another
> window, and use cat to create the files you need in /etc/pam.d.  (That
> assumes, of course, that mkdir still works -- it's in /rescue, too.)
> 

cat and mkdir still work anyway.   Looks like I may be in for some
typing.   Clock time dictates that I'll have to leave this hoping that
the telnet window stays open - this is the UK on GMT+1.   I had to
leave and lock the office a little while ago.

Any other helpful suggestions more than welcome.   BTW is there a
/etc/passwd issue here?



-- 
Steve Blinkhorn <steve@prd.co.uk>