password for installing files

By "install a file", do you mean "install a package"? If so, the reason is that you need to be root to install packages. The launcher for synaptic runs "gksudo synaptic" which elevates your privileges to root to run synaptic, asking you for your password if you haven't done so for another elevation in the last fifteen minutes.

Hi,
I did not install ubuntu my friend did and in doing so he must of created a password to perform admin task such as installing software updates for Ubuntu of any type,or even to enter 'synaptic package manager' i am prompted to enter a password.
Will i need to reinstall Ubuntu or is it possible to change or overwrite the password which was originally entered on installation?, thanks

Hi,
I did not install ubuntu my friend did and in doing so he must of created a password to perform admin task such as installing software updates for Ubuntu of any type,or even to enter 'synaptic package manager' i am prompted to enter a password.
Will i need to reinstall Ubuntu or is it possible to change or overwrite the password which was originally entered on installation?, thank

Every Ubuntu account has a password. It is normal for Synaptic to ask you for your password, it's so that other viruses that try to elevate themselves to root don't succeed.

ok

hi,
I see but i still cant install anything because i have forgotton my password.Is there anyway of resetting it?

There is a good tutorial here on how to reset your password:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux/reset-your-forgotten-ubuntu-password-in-2-minutes-or-less/

It uses Ubuntu's "Recovery" mode to hopefully make things easy. I hope this helps.