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Old 01-10-2008, 05:18 AM   #1
jlinkels
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Reset root password in console, still the same in GUI


I have a machine here which came with Ubuntu pre-installed and unknown root password.

During initialization my colleague entered one user name and password and this is the password what is asked during administrative tasks in the GUI.

I have reset the root password in the console in single user mode. That worked fine, I now know the root password and can become root.

However in the GUI, the original password is still needed for admin tasks, NOT the root password. How do I tell Ubuntu that the root password is needed for that?

I just want to have a normal Linux machine with users (no privileges) and a root (with privileges) for both the command line and the GUI. Like it is now, is way too fuzzy. I tried too google as well, but with the search terms I use I only get directions how to change the root pwd.

Thanks for any advise

jlinkels
 
Old 01-10-2008, 05:24 AM   #2
acid_kewpie
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don't fight against it, work with it. if you don't like the sudo model that ubuntu uses, i'd say don't use ubuntu in the first place. sure it's different, but for the market they are targetting, it makes a lot of sense. you can open a terminal and su to root if you wish, but it's all the integrated updates and things will always use sudo, and trying to hack all that out is just never going to be worth the hassle.
 
Old 01-10-2008, 02:21 PM   #3
jlinkels
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Very clear and so true, but I had hoped it was different. I am sure Ubuntu has its advantages (the markets show that), but it just doesn't appeal to me.

Like I said, Ubuntu came pre-installed that is why I use it. I will have to decide whether to adhere to a second (Ubuntu) standard, or that we will install Debian to retain a single standard on the Linux machines.

jlinkels
 
Old 01-13-2008, 03:45 PM   #4
hex1a4
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Hi,

Ubuntu uses sudo and gksudo for administrative functions, with the root account disabled by default. When you set the root account (presumably using passwd?) you enabled the root account and can login as root, but the GUI is asking you for the user account's password because that's how gksudo functions--regardless of what distribution it's sitting on.

Until somebody creates something akin to aliases for the GUI you're pretty much stuck using your user account's password at the GUI and not root's. Unless you feel like editing a buch of .desktop files and adding the -u root option. Or, open another X session and login as root.
 
Old 01-21-2008, 07:25 AM   #5
mhowell
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Lightbulb A solution maybe?

I think i know what you want to do, and i may have a solution for you

Open up a terminal and run 'sudo visudo' and enter your user password

About 8 lines down there is a line that has something along the lines of
'Defaults !lecture,tty_tickets,!fqdn'

add to the end of this line ',rootpw' and save it by pressing ctrl+x.

When a box asking for your own password comes up use the root password and it should now work.

Hope thats helps as I use the same thing
 
  


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