# login permissions & superuser



## afrovisn (Feb 8, 2003)

OK so laugh if you want but here is another newbie who can't login to his own puter. I set root and password that works fine, but every time I try to do something I get " Permission Denied" If I try to login as "superuser" it asks for my ID and passwd. Neither of which work withany of the passwords I have in my machine. How about a little help figuring out how to set these things so they work? After all if I can't get into the thing how can I make all those great mistakes we all learn from?


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## symphonix (Feb 8, 2003)

When you say you set the "root" password, how did you do it? The administrator password you enter at install is NOT the root password, the root password is a different thing and can only be activated through a little fiddling around in the terminal.
If you ARE talking about the password you entered at setup, then that password is for the first user account created, an administrator account ... which should be in your name as you entered it in your personal details.

On the other hand, if you really ARE trying to carry out commands at the terminal as root (and to be honest, if you can't work out what your password is you really shouldn't be mucking around with root priviliges) then the most common method is to use the "sudo" command: enter your short username and user password. Or, you can use the "su" command and enter a root password ONLY if you've set up a root account. I'd suggest you do not try and operate as root unless you're DAMN sure you know what you're doing.

At the login window, use your name and password as you entered them at setup time.

If you're still stuck, let us know precisely:
- What you did; particularly how you 'set root' and what steps you took.
- What you're trying to do (you do NOT need a root account or password to operate Mac OS X. Period. I've been running mine for 17 months, and have installed all kinds of software, with nothing more than an admin account)
- Where you get stuck. At the terminal, or at the login window?


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## afrovisn (Feb 8, 2003)

Thanks for the advice. I established the root account by following the help directions ( which true to form can't be found now) That required me to establish a root account and password, which I did. In terminal this does work. sudo login root, etc is fine. But Im still get a lot of "permission Denied" pannels. Until I established the root account even ls ./ returned a Permisssion denied. Currently attempting to use Fink or install an eggdrop I get the same messages. I do not doubt your good faith or advice. Should I go back to the install CD and start from scratch? There was a lot of confussion when this box was first up dated 10>10.1> security update> etc until the current 10.2.2/3. By the way telnet and ftp also refuse me access with bad login pannels. I have been using the same username/password for 5 years now so doubt it is that.


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## afrovisn (Feb 8, 2003)

Just a follow up when I try root#/users/albert/_CFUserTextEncoding and hit enter I get /blah-blah-blah/: Permission Denied. That file contains 0:0 and can be opened in text edit. the same happens with the Admin user logged in. I have used that as a simple example only.


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## DMCrimson (Feb 8, 2003)

if you just tye in root#/users/albert/_CFUserTextEncoding  that'll yield you nothing
you should go in as follows: 'su root' (enter password when requested) and then 'cd /users/albert/' and then 'pico _CFUserTextEncoding' that should do it.


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## gatorparrots (Feb 9, 2003)

The usual lecture is "Don't enable root access. You don't need it and it is a security hazard anyway. There's a reason Apple shipped the OS with the root user disabled by default. Use the other (safer) facilities that are available like *sudo* or *sudo -s* for temporary root user access in the terminal, and Pseudo or Skeleton Key for similar temporary root user access in the GUI."


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## chabig (Feb 9, 2003)

Startup from your OS X install CD, then under the file menu, reset the password.


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