unable to connect as root

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I am a beginner and using Aws with Redhat on my EC2 and i have an issue logging with my root ppk file using putty. i am able to login as other user ,but not as root. i used my root the day before and it was working fine and when i open it on the next day. I am not able to login, and since i haven't given any sudo permissions to other users, i cant login or do anything to my root. i used the exact credential and the same key which i use everyday. i never thought i would get problems with root. how can i get my root back or get into the authorization_keys in root. i have tried all the suggestions i saw online. this is the error

1 Answer
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First off, it's actually pretty common for EC2 instances running Red Hat to have root SSH access disabled by default. It's a security thing. Instead, you're supposed to use a default user account - for RHEL, that's usually 'ec2-user'.

Have you tried logging in with 'ec2-user'? Once you're in, you should be able to switch to root with a simple "sudo su -".

If sudo isn't working, things get a bit trickier. You might need to use EC2 Instance Connect or Systems Manager Session Manager. These are lifesavers when you're locked out. That error you're seeing - "no supported authentication methods available" - usually means there's something going on with your SSH setup. Double-check your PPK file permissions and make sure the public key is in the right spot on your instance.

If you're still stuck, EC2 Instance Connect is your next best bet. It's super easy to use right from the EC2 console. Just select your instance, hit 'Connect', and choose 'EC2 Instance Connect'. You can connect as root from there.

As a last resort, you can always detach the root volume, attach it to another instance, and fix things manually. It's a bit of a process, but it works!

For future reference, try to avoid using the root user for everyday stuff. It's safer to set up an IAM user with the permissions you need.

Here are some docs that might help: EC2 Instance Connect: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/Connect-using-EC2-Instance-Connect.html systems Manager Session Manager: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/session-manager.html Connecting to Your Linux Instance: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/AccessingInstances.html

AWS
answered 17 days ago
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reviewed 17 days ago

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