Creating Strong Account Passwords for Virtual Private Servers
The very first problem I had (and there were several I had to work thru) was caused by not creating a strong initial password. I was unable to locate my default cPanel account (on the "List accounts" page) in WHM.
When I first signed up with WiredTree, they had me create an initial account password, which they (in turn) used to set-up my cPanel log-in.
But cPanel would not validate my account with a weak password. An example of a weak password would be something like » password123.
A strong password contains a combination of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, such as something like » RadzVP$Rul3z911!.
The cPanel password-creation module assigns a value to each character added to your password. A colored bar moves from left to right, and changes from red to yellow to green as you add more characters .. until you reach 100%.
Creating a strong password initially can save you from having to figure out why you can't find your account listed in the WHM "List accounts" page.
Joe fixed this via the command line, which allowed me to log-in and create a new, stronger password. [Main » Account Functions » Password Modification] They recommend you do this ASAP, and that your WHM root password be unique (not the same as your cPanel password).
If you (like me) are moving your site from a Shared web hosting server, your account at your new VPS will use the log-in user name & password from your old server .. so create a strong password there before creating the back-up (using cPanel's back-up module).
In WHM, you can change your ROOT password (which is very important) by navigating to: Main » Account Functions » Password Modification.
Enabling non-ROOT Shell Access
Another problem I had was » not being able to log into the shell (Bash) and access/use all the cool (powerful) command line commands. I got the error (in PuTTY) » "Shell access is not enabled on your account. For shell access to be enabled, please contact support."
To access the shell, you'll need to do one of two things:
- Log in as ROOT (poor option, ROOT access should only be used when absolutely necessary)
- Enable shell access in WHM for your non-ROOT user account (better option)
How to execute option #2 listed above (»enabling shell access for your non-ROOT user account) is not readily obvious. You do this "Modifying an Account." Enter WHM and look for a link titled » "Modifying an Account," listed on the left-hand side, under heading labeled "Account Functions."
Once there, select your User name/Domain name, then click the "Modify" button/link, which will take you to a page where you can enable Shell access for this particular account.