Im new to linux and im having this problem whilst trying to fix a grub boot problem. this is the problem if someone could please help me with this. thank you.
ps, freshly installed via DVD, fresh out the box dell inspiron 11 3000 series. 4gb ram.
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2Add sudo in front of the command. – xangua Aug 15 '14 at 03:32
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@Seth This is obviously a n00b mistake. Look again at the screenshot. This isn't a duplicate. – biggles5107 Aug 15 '14 at 22:13
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@biggles While the answers to that question do solve the problem, you are right, we do have a more optimal candidate. – Seth Aug 15 '14 at 22:42
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Welcome to the Linux community and Ask Ubuntu! This is one of the newbie mistakes that I know I've made in the past, and it's a rather easy one to fix. Just make sure to use sudo before the command to avoid this error. For example:
sudo apt-get update
Then it will prompt you for your password. Don't be worried when you type in your password and nothing shows up. Just press enter, and if you entered it correctly, the command will run just fine.
Explanation: Certain functions, like package management, require you to be root. sudo is one of the ways to get root access. All it requires is for you to have administrator rights - I'm assuming you do since you installed Ubuntu yourself. If you're not sure, just run groups in the terminal, and if it lists the sudo group, you have administrator rights and can use sudo.
However, with great power comes great responsibility. Don't use sudo unless you are absolutely sure that you need root access. Package management is one of the few times you'll need this. Another example is if you're editing system configuration files under /etc (although I'm certain you're not on that level yet).
This should give you plenty of information so you know what this weird sudo thing is for. If you need anything else, just ask. I will be glad to help.
biggles5107
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