i need to access the root user cos im installin some drivers for my modem..i have got a guide to do it and it says i need to be in the root user. but i can only select normal users in the login bit. how can i do it??

its mandrake 9.1

type "su" in a terminal and enter the password

If you cant select root in the "login bit" then just type root into the blank user field.Then the root password in the password field.
Acid-kewpie's tip is right,though:a newbie can do less damage by logging in as root through the CLI.A root desktop can be very dangerous
lynch

i have no user fields to type in....i can only select a normal user then it askes for the pass.

anyway i tried su and i managed to install my modem drivers from there.. thanx

if you can say how i can get to the root desktop then please do.


oh yeah..how can you make certain users have restirctions...like restricting the games from one user but lettin another have them..im cruious

Why do you need to log in as root with a desktop? Usually you can just use the command line/a terminal and su to root. Try man su for more info

If you must know, in Mandrake you need to change the Display Manager from Mdkdm to another choice, like KDM, GDM or XDM. Go to Hardware in the Mandrake Control Centre, but you shouldnt need to log in as root constantly.

Try searching for some info about user and group permissions in linux.

That still doesn't answer BMXERMARK's question. I have the same issue, I can't log in as root. No field to type in 'root'. There are some items in Mandrake Control Center that insist I log in as root, well, I can't figure out how to do that.

would be nice if some one actually said, whatever the reason for it

security. Root can do a VAST amount of damage so so easily, and you should never use it as a matter of course. There are countless stories on this site where people have used root as it's easier etc... thinking they won't screw anything up, then they accidentally run.... say... "rm -rf /" instead of "rm -rf test/" and they're are utterly stuffed with no recourse to fix. You'd do well to get used to, and appreciate, these practises as they are there for *very* good reasons.

OK, we get that, I know that. I *still* need to know how to log on as root in Mnadrake 9.1! Like I said, Mandrake Center, for some items (I'm not in Mandrake right now,) requires that I be in root.

Besides which, it's my machine, if I blow it up due to some stupidity on my end, I'll learn not to do that, but at least I've been given that choice. Mandrake not easily giving the ability to log on as root is very Microsoftian.

The Mandrake control center asks for root's password when I launch it from my user's account. Does yours not act this way?

# System administration
The best ways I have found to administer my computer is with basic bash commands in a virtual terminal or an xterminal, or with another powerful shell, the well kept secret of mc (Midnight Commander), with a file manager, editor, and lots more handy tools.

If you use the gui log in, you will be on virtual terminal 1 (most installs default to 6 of these terminals) and your x session will be running in virtual terminal 7.

You have mouse support in the command line with gpm unless it has been disabled, so copy and paste is just as easy in virtual terminals as it is in x.

From a virtual terminal, you can switch from one terminal to another by holding down the alt key and pressing one of the function keys F1 - F6. If you are in x, hold down the control key as well as the alt and F<N> key and you wiNll go that terminal. The terminal that was first used to login will be busy and if x was run from that terminal, the error messages generated by x will be shown. The others will display the login prompt until it is used to log in to an account. To return to x from a virtual terminal, press alt and F7 and you are back to your x session.

Remember, whatever you command in root (It's the "god" mode. You can bless or destroy at your whim) usually gets done if enough system is left to carry out the command.

Type and press return and the Midnight Commander shell should run. Type control-o and you are in bash. Type control-o and you are in mc. will give lots of info. You can use Midnight Commander in either user or root accounts.

You can do the normal linux copy/paste with the mouse from one virtual terminal to another by left clicking and swiping text in one, alt-FN to switch to the virtual terminal you wish to paste into, and middle click will paste the text that was swiped in the first virtual terminal into the file at the blinking cursor position.

To surf the internet from the command line, I recommend installing links as it displays most pages reasonably. Also, you can use it to post your questions about Linux here using it. Remember to refresh the posting page after login.

There should be no fear of the command line as it is actually easier to use than the gui. All that is necessary is to know the commands.

If you have zgv installed, you can even view images from the console command line.

If you really want to use root in the desktop environment, log in as a user, Click on the Menu button---> Configuration---> KDE menu--->System---> Login Manager

Then go to the tab Users and take the x out of the box beside root.

Now logout and root should be in your choices for Logins. If you are using Gnome you should be able to get to the Login Manager the same way but I'm not sure since I only use KDE.

PS. Be Careful using the Desktop this way !!! I personally prefer administering my system this way but every once in a while I go back to the CLI.

My sys does as Fancypiper says,click on control center and mdk9.1
asks for root pwd. When I boot up (to cmd line) I log in as user,
type pwd, get a prompt (Fred@localhost#). If I then type su, enter
I'm asked for root's pwd,enter and I,m at a / prompt. I type startx
get a warning message, hit continue, and I,m root in graphic mode
with a red background ( danger ! ). I heeded those warnings and
ran halt.

JayCnrs, thank you, your suggestion worked. I'm using Gnome, but I couldn't find that option. I switched to KDE, followed your path, and now am a happy camper!

mjolnir, I played with your suggestion, but I keep getting a 'fatal server crash'. But thanks anyway, I got what I needed!

fancypiper, I'll play around with what you wrote, it'll be a learning experience.

thanx, everyone

You can also launch the control center from gnome. Just make a launcher with the same command in it (look at properties of launcher in kde).

kcontrol