Does anybody know how to re-install a root user ID? To login into administration mode (super-user) I would use this information on the prompt screen:

Login name: root
Login password ********

For some reason however, my access is denied. I can no longer access Root options. I can still log in under my non-superpower mode just fine:

Login name: ruxban
Login password: billy2!

Here's the deal. I still remember my root password. I just don't have the login name anymore. I think my computer ate it. How do I assign one? I have no administrative power, and I don't want to re-install Linux. Is there a generic Login Name you could use along with your Root password that I don't know about? Is there a way to access Root Functions through the Terminal program?

Any help would be appreciated. I currently have Linux for Dummies sitting on my desk, and I barely understand that, so I might be just missing something.

Simple Terms: No Root access. Remember Root password. Need Root Login name. Help. SOS. AFLAC!!!!!

first login as user. then type "su". when it asks for pw, enter your root pw.

Not sure I understand your probmlem, usually the root account name is "root".

EDIT: Or are you using ubuntu or another distro with dectivated root account?

"su" seems a good approach to start with. Once logged in as root, you should be able to look at /etc/passwd to find out the username (which is usually 'root', but doesn't have to be).

Just a final pointer: don't ever post or give anyone else your passwords! Not for root or any other account.

Are you trying to log in with a GUI like GDM/KDM (that is NOT the command line login?). Then root access might just be denied in the display manager and you can change this in the configuration tool/file (kcontrol for KDE with KDM).

Here is what it says:

ruxban@linux:~> su
su: user root does not exist
ruxban@linux:~>

What now???

.... Billy2! is just made up. Its not really my password. Good tip though

theoretically you should be able to access /etc/passwd with a regular user account too on most distros. You should check it to see what users you have.

And you said it worked before, and then it suddenly just stopped working, without you modifying anything? try to remember what caused it to "dissapear".

BTW, what distribution are you using?

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ruxban@linux:~> /etc/passwd
bash: /etc/passwd: Permission denied
ruxban@linux:~>

Here is the what I'm getting now. Any other suggestions?
What I was doing: I was installing plug-ins off the Linux website. After Installing a few, my computer prompted me to "restart" to save changes. When I restarted, Administative options were no longer in exsistence. Using the login name (root) and my password, I was told Invalid login.

I'm running Suzi 9.0?

What's the result?

-------------------------------------------------------------------

RESULT:

At the top of the terminal program (very top) it reads:
<Finished> -/bin/sh - Konsole

However, the screen is blank (it dosen't read- ruxban@linux:~>) and I am unable to type anything.

Wow... I have no idea what's going on, but it sounds like your system is hosed.

Just to clarify, you only typed the grep :0: /etc/passwd part, right? That definitely should not kill your terminal.

try:

less /etc/passwd

and see what it shows.

BTW, if you tipe just /etc/passwd, it will try to run it as an executable, and, as it is not, you will always get permission denied.

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It now reads the following:

bin:x:1:1:bin:/bin:/bin/bash
daemon:x:2:2aemon:/sbin:/bin/bash
lp:x:4:7:Printing daemon:/var/spool/lpd:/bin/bash
mail:x:8:12:Mailer daemon:/var/spool/clientmqueue:/bin/false
news:x:9:13:News system:/etc/news:/bin/bash
uucp:x:10:14:Unix-to-Unix CoPy system:/etc/uucp:/bin/bash
games:x:12:100:Games account:/var/games:/bin/bash
man:x:13:62:Manual pages viewer:/var/cache/man:/bin/bash
at:x:25:25:Batch jobs daemon:/var/spool/atjobs:/bin/bash
wwwrun:x:30:8:WWW daemon apache:/var/lib/wwwrun:/bin/false
ftp:x:40:49:FTP account:/srv/ftp:/bin/bash
named:x:44:44:Name server daemon:/var/lib/named:/bin/false
gdm:x:50:15:Gnome Display Manager daemon:/var/lib/gdm:/bin/bash
postfix:x:51:51:Postfix Daemon:/var/spool/postfix:/bin/false
sshd:x:71:65:SSH daemon:/var/lib/sshd:/bin/false
ntp:x:74:65534:NTP daemon:/var/lib/ntp:/bin/false
asterisk:x:100:16:Asterisk PBX:/var/lib/asterisk:/bin/false
messagebus:x:101:101:User for D-BUS:/var/run/dbus:/bin/false
vdr:x:102:33:Video Disk Recorder:/var/spool/video:/bin/false
jboss:x:103:102:JBoss - Java[tm] Application Server:/usr/share/jboss:/bin/bash
jonas:x:104:103:Jonas - Java[tm] Open Application Server:/usr/share/jonas:/bin/b
ash
tomcat:x:105:104:Tomcat - Apache Servlet/JSP Engine:/usr/share/tomcat5:/bin/bash
/ect/passwd lines 1-22/25 87%

... I don't know what the heck it means, but its there.

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Affirmative Shipmate. I don't get it either. See above for more info.

You apparently no longer have a root user.

Hopefully you setup sudo... you could do
If you don't have sudo setup, you have a real problem.