Change of password for root

michael0952

New Member
Oct 30, 2025
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Hi.

I have just spun up a secondary Proxmox VE version 8 test server, primarily to test upgrade from version 8 to 9. Initially, root was assigned a very simple password, using only letters and numbers. I was able to login to both web GUI and SSH terminal using this password.

After succesfully upgrading to version 9, I decided to give the root user same password as my first Proxmox server. On the first server the root password is complex, using letters, numbers and special characters. I am able to login to web GUI and SSH terminal on the first server with this complex password.

Now, when I change the root password on the new/second server, it does not act as I expect. If I change the password in the SSH terminal, ussing the passwd command, the password is changed and I can log in to the SSH terminal using this new password. However, I can no longer log into the web GUI (using new or old password). If I change the password using the web GUI, I am able to login to the web GUI but no longer to the SSH terminal.

Further troubleshooting show that this was due to the special character used (the exclamation mark). Changing to a simple password proved successful, and and I was able to login to both web GUI and SSH terminal.

Now, I would very much like to be able to use complex password for my root user. And it is possible, as I can see on my first server, where the same special character (and same complex password) is used. Can anyone explain to me what is going wrong here? And how do I set a complex password that will be accepted on both web GUI ansd SSH terminal?
 
Hi,

Check the keyboard layout that you using in Proxmox UI, it can be different.
Do you use any special characters in password?
 
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Hi.

Yes, as mentioned I use the exclamation mark. The special character seems to be accepted by the system where I change it (either SSH or web GUI), as I'm able to log in where I change the password. Also, as I mention above, the exact same password is accepted on another Proxmox server, where it can be used on both SSH and web GUI. However, root password on that server was set at the initial installation of the server and haven't been changed.

I am also aware of a possible keyboard mapping issue, so I've tested the SSH terminal by typing the password in the user field first, just to ensure that the correct characters was entered, In the web GUI, to ensure the correct password, is was typed in Notepad first and then copied to the password field.