[gentoo-user] Peculiar problem: no su - to root

[Harry Putnam]

I've just completed getting gentoo booted as guest in vbox vm.

I'm having a peculiar problem.  I cannot call `su -' or `su root' and
login as root.

I can still get to root by `ssh root@localhost' having set up
/etc/sshd_config while still chrooted during install.

Still no getting to root by way of `su -' or `su root'

I just get the `Permission denied' message.

I've never had this happen before over many installs of various linux
distros.

I did try ssh root@localhost and then resetting root passwd while
logged in as root, but still no getting to root by `su -'.

Any ideas whats might be wrong.