Logging in as root in Mandrake 10 Community

I just installed Mandrake 10 Community. With Mandrake 9.2 i could choose "Log in as a different user" and type root and my root password. With 10 however it has a graphical user selection where you click on the user you want to log in as. It only shows one user and not root. How can I log in as root like this? Seems like some poor planing on Mandrakes part, or maybe I'm just missing something...

I think they feel its more secure. Logging into "X" as root is more vulnerable to exploit than under console. If you want root as an option, fire up the login manager and "unhide" the root user. Then, root will be a choice for a graphical login.

Well that makes sense. I'm looking for the login manager. I found something like it but I'm not sure it's what your talking about. It's located in the Mandrake Control Center and is called "Mandrake Linux Users Management Tool". I see how i can add users but nothing about unlocking root from being a selection at logon.

If you are using KDE,

Login as a regular rep.
Click on the Start Application Menu > Configuration > Configure your computer
Click on the + sign next to System
Click on Login Manager
Click on Administrator Mode on the bottom
Locate and select the Users Tab
Under the Hidding Users Field uncheck root and click apply
Close everything and logout.
root will be listed

Hi!

I have the same problem, I cannot login as root. I started login manager, but there is no Administrator Mode Button

DocHoliday,

Are you able to modify the setting?
Are the fields grayed out?

I have the exact same problem... Finding the login manager as described above seems to be a different version of mandrake (or KDE) ...

I run x windows as root... I have for 3 years... I decided to try mandrake 10 from my redhat/fedora for something different...

Originally, I had no users defined... just root. But I couldnt got the system tray or the clock up in KDE as root... So I created a a user accound with admin rights... Now I cant login as root... the login prompt is as described above... my user to click on but no root.

Clicking 'configure your computer' --> 'system' does not give me the login manager... dont see it there...

I need to get back to loging in as root in x and have the clock and system tray...

any help would be great!

Thanks,
Chris

Here's the command you can use from the command-line:

kcmshell kdm

Be sure to do this as root:"su" and type your root password

Hit the "user" tab and check root off in the middle box so that it's not a hidden user anymore.

Here is a picture of it

Are you guys programmers? Do you constantly change and manipulate your system? Are you sysadmins? Just wondering why you need root access all the time. I use root all the time but I almost never start a root xsesseion. I'm just curious about this kind of stuff.

BTW, you may notice that I don't have root unchecked. I log in as root from the command prompt in a terminal and type startx. Comes up in KDE, since its my default.

Originally posted by vectordrake I think they feel its more secure. Logging into "X" as root is more vulnerable to exploit than under console. If you want root as an option, fire up the login manager and "unhide" the root user. Then, root will be a choice for a graphical login.

i did this, then when i logged out of the user the root was still not there.

i tried it twice. still nothing

Open kde control and goto system->login manager. Click on the users tab. To be able to change anything here you have to click on the button that gives it root priveleges. In KDE 3.2 it's an adiministrator mode button.
All you have to do is uncheck the root user from the list of hidden users.

Originally posted by beejayzed Open kde control and goto system->login manager. Click on the users tab. To be able to change anything here you have to click on the button that gives it root priveleges. In KDE 3.2 it's an adiministrator mode button. All you have to do is uncheck the root user from the list of hidden users.

But you MUST do this as root or it won't work. Same thing can be achieved by firing it up from the CLI as root, as I mentioned above.

Originally posted by beejayzed Open kde control and goto system->login manager. Click on the users tab. To be able to change anything here you have to click on the button that gives it root priveleges. In KDE 3.2 it's an adiministrator mode button. All you have to do is uncheck the root user from the list of hidden users.

i dont see an administrator mode button. could you possibily provide a pic so i can see where it is.

Originally posted by Fatdaddy i dont see an administrator mode button. could you possibily provide a pic so i can see where it is.

I got it.
OK first, Im using Mandrake Linux 10.0 Community Download.

And this is what I found.

Start Button /System /Configuration /KDE /System /Login Manager

Configure login manager window opens.
Go to users page, and deselect root as hidden user.

You may also want to check in the next window that Auto login is disabled, Otherwise you wont get the option to login as root to KDE.

Da, Daaa!

Thanks for your assistance, It didnt give me the answer, but kept me looking for it.

Cheers. BTW, this post is from my new linux box install, through my win box firewall. Phew, Linux-Firewalls and networks in one intermingled lesson.

-----
Regards, Glenn

[QUOTE]Originally posted by GlennsPref
[B]I got it.

From here:

http://www.atomicmpc.com/forums.asp?s=2&c=16&t=1949