Configure the Root Password

The JUNOS software is preinstalled on the router. When the router is powered on, it is ready to be configured. Initially, you log into the router as the user "root" with no password. After you log in, you should configure the root (superuser) password by including the root-authentication statement at the [edit system] hierarchy level:

[edit system]

root-authentication {

    (encrypted-password "password"| plain-text-password);

    ssh-rsa "public-key";

    ssh-dsa "public-key";

}

If you configure the plain-text-password option, you are prompted to enter and confirm the password:

[edit system]

user@host# set root-authentication plain-text-password

New password: type password here

Retype new password: retype password here

For information about how to create plain-text passwords, see Plain-Text Passwords.

To load an ssh key file, enter the load-key-file command. This command loads RSA (ssh version 1) and DSA (ssh version 2) public keys. You can also configure a user to use ssh-rsa and ssh-dsa keys.

If you load the ssh keys file, the contents of the file are copied into the configuration immediately after you enter the load-key-file statement. To view the ssh keys entries, use the configuration mode show command. For example:

[edit system]

user@host# set root-authentication load-key-file my-host:.ssh/identity.pub

.file.19692               |          0 KB |   0.3 kB/s | ETA: 00:00:00 | 100%

[edit system]

user@host# show

root-authentication {

ssh-rsa "1024 35 97276382040842510554682267572498642416303222074049625
2839038203869014158453496417001961060835872296156347578491827360336
1276441874265946893207739108344810126831259577226254616679992783161
2350043866091586628382248974673260566119218148953981396556156378621
194032768780653816960202749164163735913269396344008443 
boojum@juniper.net"; # SECRET-DATA

}

Example: Configure the Root Password

Configure an encrypted password:

[edit]

user@host# set system root-authentication encrypted-password 
"$1$14c5.$sBopasddsdfs0" 

[edit]

user@host# show

system {

    root-authentication {

        encrypted-password "$1$14c5.$sBopasddsdfs0";

    }

}

Configure a plain-text password:

[edit]

user@host# set system root-authentication plain-text-password 

New password: type root password

Retype new password: retype root password 

[edit]

user@host# show

system {

    root-authentication {

        encrypted-password "$1$14c5.$sBopasddsdfs0";

    }

}