I get "Authentication failure" with the su command

Trying to install the xmapp gz file from Apache friends, so I can install Joomla!
Get I get "Authentication failure" with the su command, and file not found.

Thank you, it worked.

On Sat, Feb 25, 2012 at 4:21 PM, actionparsnip <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #188886 on nautilus in Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+question/188886
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
> That's because the root account is DISABLED. Use;
>
> sudo -i
>
> instead. I assume you are wanting to become root.
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
>
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+question/188886/+confirm?answer_id=1
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+question/188886
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Please mark as solved.

One more issue;
The file I downloaded is a gz package. The extraction sting on the web says;

   1. Go to a Linux shell and login as the system administrator root:

   su

   2. Extract the downloaded archive file to /opt:

   tar xvfz xampp-linux-1.7.7.tar.gz -C /opt

   I found if I use -xvfz it eliminates one error string.

   I am assuming that pathing isn't an issue and Ubutu knows the /opt is
   for the root, as well as the location of the download, and gz.

   The error now is,

   tar: z: Cannot open: No such file or Directory

   Tried to change to the downloads directory, didn't work.

   Suggestions? Is there a current set of documentations for this system.
   Everything seems to be just-a-bit different.

   Thanks

On Sat, Feb 25, 2012 at 4:32 PM, Steve Greene <email address hidden> wrote:

> Thank you, it worked.
>
>
> On Sat, Feb 25, 2012 at 4:21 PM, actionparsnip <
> <email address hidden>> wrote:
>
>> Your question #188886 on nautilus in Ubuntu changed:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+question/188886
>>
>> Status: Open => Answered
>>
>> actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
>> That's because the root account is DISABLED. Use;
>>
>> sudo -i
>>
>> instead. I assume you are wanting to become root.
>>
>> --
>> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
>> know that it is solved:
>>
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+question/188886/+confirm?answer_id=1
>>
>> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
>> following page to enter your feedback:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+question/188886
>>
>> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>>
>
>

If you want a LAMP server, just use this:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ApacheMySQLPHP

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.