Logging on as Root

Iain Wilson · 09-11-2003, 02:56 AM

Hi,

I'm rather embaressed to ask this question so please, save your laughter...

I've just installed Mandrake 9.1 and have been having a good mess around with it. However, when I try and access the linuxconf utility it tells me to login as root. "Fine", thinks I. "I've used Mandrake 9.0 - I'll just go back to the login prompt and login from there".

Only I can't. There's merely an icon for users and no space to type in a user name.

Am I missing something horrendously obvious here?

Kind regards,

davee · 09-11-2003, 03:03 AM

Don't know mandrake, but...

You should try and avoid logging on as root. Log on as a normal user, open a shell and type 'su'. Enter the root password and run your config utility. Once you're done, type 'exit' to return to your normal user login.

Dave

Iain Wilson · 09-11-2003, 03:10 AM

Thank you!

That did the ticket!

acid_kewpie · 09-11-2003, 03:41 AM

and DON'T use Linuxconf!!!

bigjohn · 09-11-2003, 07:19 AM

Just for info,

If you think that you want/need to actually log in a graphic screen as root, mandrake 9.1 is defaulted to keep root as a hidden user.

So, you would have to log in as user, go to the kde control centre (presuming that youre using kde), open system and I think it's called the log in manager. Open that, and then click on "administrator mode" (the buttons at the bottom of the panel), then just uncheck root as a hidden user.

regards

John

CoopLinux · 09-11-2003, 08:35 AM

That brings me to a similar question, if I'm in the GUI can I log in as root in a terminal but use root powers in the GUI or only the terminal? (I know some programs let you enter the root password)

davee · 09-11-2003, 08:46 AM

If you log in to a terminal as root, any gui apps you start from that term will have root permissions. Note that you may need to type 'xhost +localhost' to allow xapps to be displayed.

It's best not to run anything as root if you can help it, though.

Dave

Iain Wilson · 09-16-2003, 02:23 AM

Thank you!