Note: This article pertains to Mac OS X Server versions 1.x, which were released prior to May 2001. In Mac OS X Server and Mac OS X versions 10.0.1 and later, ssh is enabled in place of telnet. ssh allows root login.
For security reasons, you cannot directly log in to a server as "root" from a telnet session. You must first log in as a known user who is also part of the "wheel" group. Once you are logged in you may use the "su" command to switch to the root account.
To telnet to a Mac OS X Server computer you will have to use a telnet client from another computer. There are several telnet clients available for the Mac OS, and a telnet client is built in to many Unix-style operating systems. Using an available client, telnet to the Mac OS X Server computer. Log in to the server using an ID that is part of the wheel group, then type the following command at the prompt:
su
You will be asked for a password. Type in the root password. You are now the root user.
You add a user to the "wheel" group using the NetworkManager.app application. For instructions on adding a user to the "wheel" group, see the following articles:
Article 60025: "
Managing Users with NetworkManager.app"
Article 30757: "
Mac OS X Server: Review Of Network Startup (1 of 2)"
Article 24720: "
Mac OS X Server: Review Of Network Startup (2 of 2)"
For information on how to boot into single-user mode, see:
article: 30837: "
Mac OS Server: Booting into Single-User Mode"