Ubuntu
empathy package

I can't 'su root'

Asked by Ron Smith

I've installed Ubuntu 9.10 as a guest OS using Sun VirtualBox on a host Win XP system. During the install I was not asked to setup the "root" account. I did, however, set up one account for the main user (me). Once I got everything up and running, I noticed that I cannot 'su root' from the shell. That is, I can try to 'su root', but the password is unknown because I was *not* asked to configure the root account during the install process. I was wondering if this is normal (and there is something I'm missing), or if it is perhaps related to the way in which Sun VirtualBox works.

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George Standish
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Best George Standish (george-standish-deactivatedaccount) said : 		#1

From Ubottu the bot in #ubuntu on Freenode

Do not try to guess the root password, that is impossible. Instead, realise the truth... there is no root password. Then you will see that it is 'sudo' that grants you access and not the root password. Look at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo

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Ron Smith (geeksatlarge) said : 		#2

...Problem solved. Use 'sudo'. Thanks, everybody. :)

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Ron Smith (geeksatlarge) said : 		#3

Thanks George Standish, that solved my question.

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fabrom (fabrom-jability) said : 		#4

as alternative and if you need/want root user, you must activate it with

> sudo passwd root

set the root password twice and then you can do

> su -

and you will be root.

But - i repeat - only if you really know what you do :)