Home / server / Questions / 371409
Accepted
Crazy_Bash
Asked: 2012-03-20 13:35:37 +0800 CST

SElinux: How to change to permissive mode without a reboot?

  • 772

I need to change selinux to "permissive mode" on a production server without a reboot, but setenforce wont let me do it(as a root), it always prints "setenforce: SELinux is disabled" What i'm doing wrong?

[root@server3 ~]# setenforce 0
setenforce: SELinux is disabled
[root@server3 ~]# setenforce 1
setenforce: SELinux is disabled
[root@server3 ~]# setenforce Permissive
setenforce: SELinux is disabled
[root@server3 ~]# getenforce
Disabled
linux selinux

3 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    setenforce can only be used to change the mode SELinux is running in. It cannot be used to enable SELinux.

    • 8

  2. So, SELinux must first be enabled as follow:

    sudo nano /etc/selinux/config

    then change 

    SELINUX=disabled

    into

    SELINUX=permissive

    and reboot.

    After reboot, you should have

    # getenforce
Permissive
    • 4

  3. setenforce 0 (Does not require reboot) and then check sestatus

    • 1