Root access ubuntu

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You can have several terminals, one of them as root, and the rest as normal user, but you have always to be careful when making changes to the system and read the relevant documentation to be aware of possible caveats.

Of course, if your system/distro does not have the file configured (or if it hasn't the command installed), you cannot use , so it should have a root account and you must know its password.

Some systems allow to enter some kind of 'recovery mode' at boot, but new distros can ask for the root password (or the password of a sudo user) to enter a shell or even to select GRUB options to protect against unauthorized access.

You can use it with sudo to temporarly switch to root user:

If you try to use the su command without sudo, you’ll encounter ‘su authentication failure’ error.

You can go back to being the normal user by using the exit command.

How to enable root user in Ubuntu?

By now, you know that the root user is locked by default in Ubuntu-based distributions.

Linux gives you the freedom to do whatever you want with your system.

Root user gives you complete power over the system and hence it should be used with great caution. Attackers can target active root accounts over the network, making it essential to set a strong password and limit SSH access if root login is enabled.

5. You can still run specific commands with root.

How to run commands as root user in Ubuntu?

You’ll need root privileges for some system specific tasks.

You can reset an Ubuntu password very easily. Summary

Review of Key Points

This article explained the fundamentals of the root user in Ubuntu, how to use root privileges, and best practices for securing the system. Use the command to restore the proper file owner.

8. To edit the file, we should use the command with root privileges, which will check for possible syntax errors or if the file is being edited right now in another shell (To find the configuration sentences, use the command).

A lot of modern Linux distros (in particular those Debian based) have this file preconfigured with the user indicated in the installation process, and the root user disabled and without a password assigned, precisely to highlight the more secure practice of system administration.

In any case, there are situations where all the activities in some session will be admin-related, and having to insert sudo in all commands could be a hassle.

This ensures that the environment variable is set correctly, preventing applications from inadvertently creating configuration files in the wrong directory.

How to Use gksudo

The following example launches the text editor with root privileges:

This prevents graphical applications from treating a user’s home directory as root’s home directory, avoiding unexpected behavior.

Difference Between sudo and gksudo

When using to launch a graphical application, the variable remains unchanged, meaning files may be created with incorrect ownership.

You can also configure to run sudo without password. In that case, use:

to execute a login shell as root after auhenticating sudo, and that shell will not need sudo to run admin commands. For example, if you want to update Ubuntu via command line, you cannot run the command as a regular user. Sudo is a program that controls access to running commands as root (or other users).

Sudo is actually quite a versatile tool.

Enter the new password twice for confirmation.

Method 2: Logging in as the Root User#

  1. If you have set the root password as described above, you can log in as the root user.

    root access ubuntu

    But there’s more to root account in Ubuntu that you should know.

    When you have just started using Linux, you’ll find many things that are different from Windows. To see the actual configuration, use . Understanding the fundamental concepts, usage methods, common practices, and best practices is essential to ensure the security and stability of your Ubuntu system.

    When you type the password on the screen, nothing is visible.

    • For a graphical login, switch to a virtual console by pressing to .