One way is the wheel group in /etc/group. Uncomment the following line in /etc/pam.d/su: auth required /lib/security/$ISA/pam_wheel.so use_uid Uncommenting this line allows only the users in the wheel group to become root by using the su command and entering the root password. All other users will receive a message stating the password is incorrect. You will also want to create the wheel group in /etc/group and add users to it if it does not exist (CentOS 4 I know does but some older redhat implementations did not if I recall correctly). I am unsure of how this interacts with sudo though. If you allow users to use sudo command, make sure they cannot 'sudo su root'. -Greg > -----Original Message----- > From: centos-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:centos-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of M. Fioretti > Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2006 11:57 AM > To: centos@xxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [CentOS] How to create a secure user only for ssh login? > > Hello, > > I've read on several howtos that one way to make ssh more secure, or > at least reduce the damage if somebody breaks in, is to NOT allow > direct ssh login from root, but allow logins from another user. So you > have to know two passwords in order to do any real damage. > > Does this make sense? IF yes, what is the right way to create an user > only for this purpose, that is one that can only login to give me a > local prompt to become root, but has no privilege, no possibility to > create files, or do anything at all? > > TIA, > Marco > > -- > Marco Fioretti mfioretti, at the server mclink.it > Fedora Core 3 for low memory http://www.rule-project.org/ > > Don't you wish you had more energy... or less ambition? > _______________________________________________ > CentOS mailing list > CentOS@xxxxxxxxxx > http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos > _______________________________________________ CentOS mailing list CentOS@xxxxxxxxxx http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos