im trying to run as root admin

It sounds like you might be confusing the password for your Launchpad account with the password for the user account on your computer. They're not necessarily the same (and should be different). The computer password doesn't involve email or confirmation codes at all, and you can clearly log in to Launchpad since you've asked this question here. So please say exactly what it is that you are trying to do that is prompting you for a password. When your problem is clear, it will be easier to answer.

Ubuntu doesn't give confirmation codes of any sort, you simply get prompted for your password, once you enter your correct password you will get access to what you need (assuming you are in the admin group).

When does this confirmation code get generated, what app makes it?

Can you also give the output of:

echo $USER

Thanks

I wanted to use computer janitor - it asked for a password - I am new to this computer stuff and get easily frazzled so I entered what I thought was the password I should use and got a message from Ubuntu single sign on forgotten password - a code was sent via email and I entered it in a place that required a code and even tho I entered it correctly, message said it was incorrect. I tried resetting password but it kept saying password doesn't match. Thanks so much for your efforts to help me.

Never seen that, ok if you boot to root recovery mode (hold shift at boot, select recovery mode, then scoll down and select root).

You can now run:

passwd foo

replace foo with your usual user name in Ubuntu. You have now set the password and can now log in and run commands needing passwords quite happily.

I don't know what you mean by boot to root recovery mode - how do I do that - I am at the neonatal stage of computer use. Thnx

After an hour of searching, I discovered that a boot and setup menu shows on the screen for about a second before the login page comes up. I needed to shut off my computer and reBOOT it several times in order to coordinate hitting the F12 button with the appearance of the menu. When I did that, I went to the section that indicated password. There was no recovery mode selection. I am sorry that you needed to be rude and pedantic. Maybe you should spend your spare time on some other enterprise. You have shown an ugly face in the Ubuntu community. You didn't help me.

If you don't read then how can we help you. It's quite simple. I wasn't in any way pedantic. I gave instruction and you failed to read it. How is that pedantic?

actionparsnip said 2 hours ago:
Never seen that, ok if you boot to root recovery mode (hold shift at boot, select recovery mode, then scoll down and select root).

Scroll up, it's there. I copied the text.

You will select root from this screen:
http://dl.maximumpc.com/galleries/20ubuntu/recoverymode.png

In retort to your "ugly face" comment, I suggest you read this:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ActionParsnip

Thankyou for answering my question about what you were trying to do. I can give you a more specific answer now.

Your Ubuntu single sign-on password is for on-line services such as this one, Launchpad Answers. It is not for logging in to, or administering, your computer. That is something else, and you can't reset it by emailing. This is how you reset the password for the user account on your computer:

The first bit of information you need is your username. I'm going to assume this is "svetlana", but you can check by opening a terminal (go to the Applications menu, then Accessories > Terminal) and typing:
echo $USER
(Your username should also appear in each command prompt.)
When you know your username, restart the computer.

While the computer is starting up, hold down SHIFT until the GRUB menu appears.
(F12 is not what you want here—that's for changing the BIOS options. You can forget all about F12; just hold down SHIFT until you see the word "GRUB" at the top of the screen.)

Use the up and down arrows to select the first entry that has "(recovery mode)" at the end, e.g.:
Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.32-24-generic (recovery mode)
and press ENTER.

You'll soon get a blue screen with a grey Recovery Menu on it. From it, pick (right at the bottom usually):
root ........ Drop to a root shell prompt

At the bottom of the screen, a 'root' command prompt will appear.
Type:
passwd svetlana
Obviously, replace "svetlana" with whatever your username actually is.
You'll be prompted twice to enter your new password. Make sure you type the same password both times.

Once you've set your new password, type:
shutdown -r now
to restart.
You should now be able to make all the changes you want.

(Please try to forgive actionparsnip. I don't think he was actually trying to be rude on this occasion. He just doesn't appreciate that some people need a more thorough explanation.)

to Marc Stewart and actionparsnip - thank you both so much for your help but I'm still not getting it - got to the root business but my input seems to be incorrect - going to get my daughter to give me a hand with your instructions - Again - thanks so much.