question about root
 

I just installed Ubuntu, and I don't believe I set up a root password. However, when I try to log in as root, it asks for a password, and if I leave it blank, it won't log in.

How do I log in as root without the password so that I can change it?

Would putting in the install cd and then mounting my harddrive, and using chroot to make the harddrive root work?

thanx

I have already answered you question in a previous post. Login as usual as a normal user, start a console/terminal, then do "sudo passwd root", enter a new password for root and your problem is solved.

if i remember correctly, ubuntu doesn't offer an actual root account, rather you su to root from user to perform the things you need to do as root.

check this site out:ubuntu root stuff

>>I have already answered you question in a previous post. Login as usual as a normal user, start a console/terminal, then do "sudo passwd root", enter a new password for root and your problem is solved.>>

and I answered this by saying that it errors when I type sudo in. It doesn't let me do anything with it.


edit:
<<You can give root a password by doing "sudo root passwd" as a normal user.>>
actually, that's what you said. It was backwards, which may be why it didn't work. I'll go check it out the other way and see what happens.

tried it, doesn't work. The sudo command doesn't work at all because it doesn't recognize batman, which is my computer name. the reason I need to log in as root is because the file "/dev/hosts" needs to be editted I believe. However, because that file is wrong, I can't log in as root.

I think this is my problem. Basically I need to mount my filesystem and and get root access without any passwords. any ideas?

I think I got it all figured out now. Basically I had to put in the install cd, let it find my harddrive, mount my linux partition, and then make the changes to the /etc/hosts file that I needed to, reboot, and wala. Now I can use the sudo command just fine, and I can su to user and stuff. Thanx everyone for the help.

I corrected that post earlier on and should read "sudo passwd root".