"Unable to locate package root-system-bin"

JoeSmythe · 10-20-2010, 08:13 PM

I type in root, it says root is not currently installed and tells me what to type in to install it; I type that in and I get the error message "Unable to locate package root-system-bin"... I'm using Ubuntu 10.10 and I just installed it onto an older HP laptop...

AlucardZero · 10-20-2010, 08:18 PM

so.. what is your goal here?

JoeSmythe · 10-20-2010, 08:22 PM

Just trying to make sure I installed it correctly with everything that I need to actually use it.

dustyfoot · 10-20-2010, 08:24 PM

I'm having similar issue, and my end goal is to be able to use root user on the terminal. This is the first time using ubuntu, in redhat and suse, I was able to use root.

damgar · 10-20-2010, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeSmythe

I type in root, it says root is not currently installed and tells me what to type in to install it; I type that in and I get the error message "Unable to locate package root-system-bin"... I'm using Ubuntu 10.10 and I just installed it onto an older HP laptop...

I might be missing something here, but "root" is a user. Are you typing root into a login prompt or at the terminal after you've logged in?

You might find this link useful. It's where I started anyway. It covers some good basics without being boring.

JoeSmythe · 10-20-2010, 08:36 PM

Thanks, damgar, that'll definitely help.

damgar · 10-20-2010, 08:39 PM

No problem. Welcome to LQ. I hope you have fun and learn a lot....so you can help me!

dustyfoot · 10-20-2010, 09:07 PM

so, how do you use root user from the terminal?...with suse I was able switch to root user in the terminal...if try the same with ubuntu I get the same message joe got

damgar · 10-20-2010, 09:16 PM

By default you use sudo. If you want to do something that root normally does you do

Code:

sudo updatedb

for instance which will run that command as if it were run by root. For persistence there is

Code:

sudo su

or myriad other ways. If you want to actually login as root you have set a root password, which I don't remember how to do at the moment, but it is easy to find using google. Other ways to become root can be found here.

dustyfoot · 10-20-2010, 09:19 PM

thanx a lot, I was able to use sudo, but unable to use sudo for everything root does, for instance init...I would get that same message that root is not installed

dustyfoot · 10-20-2010, 09:21 PM

damgar..disregard my last post...I didn't finish reading your last post...thanx once again

damgar · 10-20-2010, 09:42 PM

Not a problem. BTW to set a root password you should be able to just do

Code:

sudo passwd

as your administrative user and then su into root as normal. GUI logins used to take some fiddling with GDM but that may or may not be the case anymore. Just to get ahead of the curve, I'll go ahead and say that it is recommended not to do these things, but I tend to believe that sometimes it's neccessary or just a lot easier to log in as root and then exit when I'm done.