Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-sd!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpfcdc!hpfcmr!rdg
From: rdg@hpfcmr.HP.COM (Rob Gardner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: Remote Terminal Problems
Message-ID: <1080022@hpfcmr.HP.COM>
Date: 27 Dec 88 22:33:57 GMT
References: <6972@pyr.gatech.EDU>
Organization: HP Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 40


> I have a 319C+ running HP-UX 6.2.  When I connect a terminal to the 
> 98644 serial port, it is impossible to log in on an account with
> a password.  On an account w/o a password, the logon is almost
> instantaneous.  This happens whether or not someone is logged
> on at the console.  The machine has 16Meg of RAM, so that should not 
> be a problem.  When logged on as root at the console, it is impossible 
> to do a "ps" while the password check on the tty user is running.
> The ps just never returns.   This happens even at "nice --19".
> BTW, the password check always fails.   Any ideas?

I'd be willing to bet that your /dev/tty is messed up. It should look like:

crw-rw-rw-   1 root     other     2 0x000000 Dec 27 15:07 /dev/tty

But I bet it actually looks something like this:

crw-rw-rw-   1 root     other      1 0x090000 Dec 27 15:07 /dev/tty
 or
crw-rw-rw-   1 root     other      0 0x000000 Dec 27 15:07 /dev/tty

Now take a look at /dev/console:

crw-rw-rw-   1 root     other      0 0x000000 Dec 27 15:07 /dev/console

Notice any inconsistencies?

What's happening is that root is logged in on /dev/console, and login
prompts for a password on /dev/tty, but your /dev/tty actually points
to /dev/console! Try entering the password on the console when it prompts.

How did it get like this, you ask? I'm afraid that human intervention
is the only possibility :-(
 
    Rob Gardner                     hplabs!hpfcmr!rdg
    Hewlett Packard                 or rdg%hpfcmr@hplabs.hp.com
    Fort Collins, Colorado          303-229-2048
		80525-9599

		     "Ask me about Home Brewing"