Enabling telnet, ftp, pop3 for root...

Hello, I am wanting to enable root to be able to establish a telnet, ftp,
and pop3 sessions.

Yes, I know that in 99.9% of situations, this would be thought of as "bad",
however I have a 00.1% situation where it isn't a problem. I have two older
computers connected only to each other. They aren't connected to the
internet. I use them for a variety of things, including testing stuff
(mainly html) before putting it up on a "live" computer.
Down the road, I have a real-time control project idea, involving their
serial ports, that I'm planning on implimenting with the two older
computers. They won't be connected to any networks, LAN or internet. The
"control devices" will be my PDA's.

With my "real" computers, I do ssh to connect as root and just .forward
root's mail to a regular userid so it can be pop3'd, but with two
point-to-point older computers it is no problem to have them wide open.
Keeping them wide open will make things easier and plus, I would like to
gain knowledge of what exactly is blocking root from telneting/ftp/pop3 in.

Again, I know this is "bad". I'm well aware of that. (Although in this
situation it really makes no difference.) Did some deja/web searches on
this, but all of them disintegrate into a "Don't do that" discussion even
though those people were doing something in an almost identical situation.

I've been up and down everywhere, RTFM'ing, but still can't pinpoint exactly
what is blocking this. Starting to think that maybe there is some flag to
pass while compiling these programs, or a line in the source that needs to
be commented out?

All help is most appreciated!
TIA

"Ecresa" <Ecresa_junkmail@hotmail.com> (06-04-05 21:22:52):

> Hello, I am wanting to enable root to be able to establish a telnet,
> ftp, and pop3 sessions.

<joke> This is bad! ;) </joke>


> I've been up and down everywhere, RTFM'ing, but still can't pinpoint
> exactly what is blocking this. Starting to think that maybe there is
> some flag to pass while compiling these programs, or a line in the
> source that needs to be commented out?

Now, to be serious, if you are really going to do this, and you are
completely aware that you are doing sin here, then it would be very
helpful, if you told us, which server/client programs you use and which
concrete error message you get, when you try to connect as root.


Regards.

On Wed, 05 Apr 2006 21:22:52 +0000, Ecresa wrote:

> Hello, I am wanting to enable root to be able to establish a telnet, ftp,
> and pop3 sessions.

Yet another typical dumbass Windose luser.

Perhaps by the time you learn how to do that you will realize how truly
stupid it is.

["Followup-To:" header set to alt.os.linux.]
In <MyWYf.84458$g91.28425@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com>, on Wed, 05 Apr 2006
21:22:52 GMT, Ecresa wrote:
> Hello, I am wanting to enable root to be able to establish a telnet, ftp,
> and pop3 sessions.

So do it. Enable the appropriate switch in the
appropriate place. Since you don't narrow it down
any further than a universal question, that is the
universal answer.

> With my "real" computers, I do ssh to connect as root

Also bad. You should ssh to a user account and
then su to root only when necessary.

> I've been up and down everywhere, RTFM'ing, but still can't pinpoint exactly
> what is blocking this.

First you say you want to enable daemons, then you
say ports are blocked. Which is it?

> All help is most appreciated!

Help can only be as specific as the question.

On 05.04.2006, Steve Ackman <steve@SNIP-THIS.twoloonscoffee.com> wrote:
>> With my "real" computers, I do ssh to connect as root
>
> Also bad. You should ssh to a user account and
> then su to root only when necessary.

Can you recall any argument against remote logging as root directly?
Assume that root has strong password, connecting user has already
successful connections with that machine and knows SSH host key and SSH2
protocol is used.

--
Feel free to correct my English
Stanislaw Klekot

"Ertugrul Soeylemez" <never@drwxr-xr-x.org> wrote in message
news:e11evs$572$02$1@news.t-online.com...
> "Ecresa" <Ecresa_junkmail@hotmail.com> (06-04-05 21:22:52):
>
> > Hello, I am wanting to enable root to be able to establish a telnet,
> > ftp, and pop3 sessions.
>
> <joke> This is bad! ;) </joke>
>
>
> > I've been up and down everywhere, RTFM'ing, but still can't pinpoint
> > exactly what is blocking this. Starting to think that maybe there is
> > some flag to pass while compiling these programs, or a line in the
> > source that needs to be commented out?
>
> Now, to be serious, if you are really going to do this, and you are
> completely aware that you are doing sin here, then it would be very
> helpful, if you told us, which server/client programs you use and which
> concrete error message you get, when you try to connect as root.
>

Hi,

Thanks for taking helpful interest. Some people would think the world is
going to end if two simple old P2's, connected directly to one another, no
where near near the internet or a LAN touching the internet, in a private
home, is going to end if you are able to telnet between the two as root.
You would think, in gaining further knowledge of security alone, one would
take an active interest in what exactly is preventing this instead of just
chalking it up as just a "black magical box".

All clients were able to connect, but wouldn't get authorization for a valid
root/pass.

Anyway, I finally found how to get it working; greping the /var/log's for
failed outside authentications from root and then modifying /etc/securetty
to permit those respective tty's.

Thanks..

["Followup-To:" header set to alt.os.linux.]
Ecresa enlightened us with:
> Some people would think the world is going to end if two simple old
> P2's, connected directly to one another, no where near near the
> internet or a LAN touching the internet, in a private home, is going
> to end if you are able to telnet between the two as root.

You said yourself that you test stuff on that machine before putting
it online. Don't forget to remove the open root access before that
time!

Besides, I think logging in as root through SSH using public key
authentication (hence no typing of passwords) is easier than using
telnet and logging in as root. So SSH is easier and more secure.

Sybren
--
The problem with the world is stupidity. Not saying there should be a
capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the
safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?
Frank Zappa

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Ecresa sent the following transmission through subspace:

> Some people would think the world is
> going to end if two simple old P2's, connected directly to one another, no
> where near near the internet or a LAN touching the internet, in a private
> home, is going to end if you are able to telnet between the two as root.

According to most movies, any computer can be hacked from the internet
even thou they do not have any networking installed.
Even computers with NO POWER can be hacked from the internett
an all files can be copied.
.....According to Hollywood.

You didnt know? :-)=

- --
Solbu - http://www.solbu.net
Remove 'ugyldig' for email
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