Migrating between Plesk 12 servers using Ubuntu

[TimidJester]

I have 2 servers, both running Plesk 12.0.18 on Ubuntu 14.04.3 platforms, and I have a need to move a domain with its email from one of those servers to the other. The migration tool on the server you're going to needs the root password for the server you're pulling from, but Ubuntu doesn't use a traditional root password. I can gain root access, but the migration tool in the gui doesn't give me a sudo option or anything like that. I could always just migrate everything manually, but doing the task in 5 minutes is preferable to spending an hour on it.

Has anybody else run into this? Is there a way to modify the migration manager to be more cooperative with Ubuntu (such as throwing a sudo -i command in when it tries logging into the other server)? Do we just need to set the Ubuntu system to have a straight up root password without the sudo shenanigans at all? Am I just out of luck? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[UFHH01]

Hi TimidJester,

...but Ubuntu doesn't use a traditional root password. I can gain root access...

Could you please explain what makes you think, that Ubuntu doesn't handle "root" as "root" with all its privileges? If you created an additional user with root privileges, which with you normally login to your server for security reasons and if you disabled root-user login, just temporary re-do these changes. The migration utility is only compatible for the system-user root and not globally for the group root and its users.

 

[TimidJester]

If the solution is just to make a root user, then so be it. We have avoided that for now due to security concerns. The issue I'm facing now though is just that to gain root access, I SSH to the server, log in with admin or whatever, sudo, and then I have root. The migration manager just wants a username and password with root access. Having to go in and set up a root user and then undo it every time we needed to migrate a single domain is just inefficient. I'm looking for ways to save time in this, preferably with a one-time fix.

 

[KristianM]

Hi,

the problem is, that with Ubuntu by default the sshd_config has "PermitRootLogin without-password" set, so you can not just setup a password for root and then login via SSH.
Migration Manager however requires such a login and it only supports password authentication. I'd also like to see key-authentication support in the migration manager.

But to work around your issue, you will have to edit your sshd_config file, create a password for root and do it the way the Migration Agent of Plesk requires you to do so.
Currently there is no other way of doing this. After successfull migration you can revert all settings and you should be fine

As an alternative, create a new sshd_config file and run a temporary sshd on another port that temporary allows root Login with password.
Once finished just stop/kill the temporary sshd

Regards,
Kristian

 

[TimidJester]

I was afraid the answer would be something like that. I think the next time we build a new hosting platform, I'm going to recommend we just don't use Ubuntu for the OS.

Thanks for the help, but I'm still open to any other suggestions if they exist.

 

[KristianM]

Hi,

well even if you take any other Distribution other than Ubuntu.
What would make the difference? You might save the time in editing your sshd_config.
All other steps are identical

Regards,
Kristian

 

[TimidJester]

Some of our older platforms were using just plain old Linux and were set up with straight up root logins. Maybe I'm just spoiled.

 

[KristianM]

Hi,

what is plain old Linux?
Ubuntu is is also Linux, just as Debian, OpenSuSE, CentOS and many other Distributions are.
In general as I said, there is no difference once you change these settings on your Ubuntu.
It should then behave just like any other "Linux"

By the way...
More and more recent Distributions setup everything the way Ubuntu has been for the last couple of years and this feature is actually quite good. It actually forces admins to create an administrative user that is not known by everyone in the world.

I do agree that the migration manager should adopt this, but for the time being it's only 3 more commands

Regards
Kristian

 

[TimidJester]

I don't know. I don't get to build the servers, just operate them. I would check which OS they were, but we've moved everything off the old ones and shut them down anyway. Either way, the code monkeys will get going on this so I can have my easy way. I guess I really am kinda spoiled that way.