How to reboot Ubuntu and use root

Question

Am pretty new to Linux.I could not set an root user account when I started my Dell laptop which came with Ubuntu. How do I reboot the same to set root. Kindly guide me. Thanks in advance.

Please do NOT use a root account Stick to sudo and your normal user with elevated permissions. It is set up like this for better security. If you want a root account use another operating system that uses the root method. — Rinzwind, Oct 09 '16 at 19:16
I suspect what the questioner is really asking is How do I reset a lost administrative password? — steeldriver, Oct 09 '16 at 19:43
@steeldriver I don't think so, OP seems to have purchased a Dell XPS Dev Edition with Ubuntu, and wants to set a root account similar to the Administrator account in Windows. — negusp, Oct 09 '16 at 20:12

negusp · Answer 1 · 2016-10-09T19:45:31.007

2

Use sudo. Do not use the root account.

Using the root account runs all applications at the root level. This is, inherently, extremely unsafe.

If or when you want to avoid using sudo for a period of time, you can use the command:

sudo -i

edited Oct 09 '16 at 19:45

answered Oct 09 '16 at 19:31

negusp

2,821

People are asking how to login, not the risks! – Gökhan Polat Mar 02 '23 at 19:44

CH325 · Answer 2 · 2016-10-09T20:20:00.790

OK. You are not required to be a root to perform high prevailing task like installing packages, etc. You can do same thing as root user by just typing sudo before the command which you want to execute.

Example: sudo apt-get {Operation} {Package Name}

Where:

sudo -> used to add administrative previlages to user specified commands.
apt-get -> is a free package management command line program, that is used to work with Ubuntu’s APT (Advanced Packaging Tool) library to perform installation of new software packages, removing existing software packages, upgrading of existing software packages and even used to upgrading the entire operating system.
Operation -> If you are installing the new package, use intsall. For updating your system type update.
Package Name -> is the name of the package that you want to install. In case of update, package name is not specified. The update command fetches the package list and update the packages to newer version.

HAPPY TO HELP ;-)

Please do not post link only answer. Those tend to rot making the answer useless. — Rinzwind, Oct 09 '16 at 19:16
Your answer is also the least safe. OP shouldn't use root- root should be applied, using sudo, in a application-by-application basis. — negusp, Oct 09 '16 at 19:30

How to reboot Ubuntu and use root

2 Answers2