Root access ubuntu

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Additional Resources

Resources for Further Learning

Using these resources will help you deepen your understanding of root access in Ubuntu and develop the skills required to manage your system securely and efficiently.

Enabling Root Access in Ubuntu: A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents#

  1. Fundamental Concepts
  2. Usage Methods
  3. Common Practices
  4. Best Practices
  5. Conclusion
  6. References

Fundamental Concepts#

What is the Root User?#

In a Linux system, the root user is the superuser with unrestricted access to all commands and files on the system.

Root user can access system files and run commands to make changes to the system configuration. It’s an extensive topic and maybe I’ll discuss it in details in another article.

For the moment, you should know that when you install Ubuntu, you are forced to create a user account.

Root User in Ubuntu- Important Things You Should Know

How do you become a root user in Ubuntu?

But there’s more to root account in Ubuntu that you should know.

When you have just started using Linux, you’ll find many things that are different from Windows. For example, to install a new package using the package manager:

Note that when you are logged in as root, you don't need to use the prefix because you already have full administrative privileges.

Editing System-Critical Files#

You can use text editors like or to edit system-critical files.

However, enabling root login introduces security risks and should be done with caution.

Disabling Root Login

To disable root login again, use the following command:

This locks the root account and disables direct login. This way, you can maintain a record of who performed the actions and reduce the risk of accidental system-wide changes.

Keep the Root Password Secure#

The root password should be kept secret and should be a strong, complex password.

You can still run specific commands with root.

How to run commands as root user in Ubuntu?

You’ll need root privileges for some system specific tasks. To edit the file, we should use the command with root privileges, which will check for possible syntax errors or if the file is being edited right now in another shell (To find the configuration sentences, use the command).

A lot of modern Linux distros (in particular those Debian based) have this file preconfigured with the user indicated in the installation process, and the root user disabled and without a password assigned, precisely to highlight the more secure practice of system administration.

In any case, there are situations where all the activities in some session will be admin-related, and having to insert sudo in all commands could be a hassle.

Monitor logs regularly to detect unauthorized access attempts early.

7. By following the guidelines in this blog, you can enable root access safely and effectively when needed.

References#

In conclusion, with proper knowledge and careful use, enabling root access in Ubuntu can enhance your ability to manage and troubleshoot your system.

2025-11

You may configure it run only a selected few commands as root.

Just keep on typing the password and press enter.

How to become root user in Ubuntu?

You can use sudo to run the commands as root. If you still have some confusion and questions about it, please let me know in the comments. This is a security measure to verify whether elevated privileges are truly required. And hence, an incorrect command may destroy the system.

This is why Ubuntu and other Ubuntu-based distributions lock the root user by default to save you from accidental disasters.

You don’t need to have root privilege for your daily tasks like moving file in your home directory, downloading files from internet, creating documents etc.

Take this analogy for understanding it better.

root access ubuntu

To return to the normal user shell, insert the command . Enabling and Disabling Root Login

Enabling Root Login

To enable the root account, which is disabled by default, run the following command:

This command unlocks the root account and allows root login. Understanding the fundamental concepts, usage methods, common practices, and best practices is essential to ensure the security and stability of your Ubuntu system.

Best Practices for Managing the Root Account

Security Recommendations

  • Keep the Root Account Disabled: Whenever possible, keep the root account disabled and use instead.
  • Use a Strong Password: If enabling root, use a strong, hard-to-guess password.
  • Define Security Policies: Set access control policies and monitor logs when using the root account.

Policy Configuration

When enabling the root account, define access policies specifying who can access the system and when.

You can do this by pressing on your keyboard.

  • Use the command to set a password for the root user. This is perfectly normal because as the default security feature, nothing is displayed on the screen. It’s discouraged for a reason after all.

    You can use su command to switch users in Ubuntu.