[HOWTO] - Enable Root Login to Mac OSX
- Thread starter alito
- Start date
simX
Unofficial Mac Genius
You need to enable it first, for obvious security reasons. I would recommend against this -- if you need to do something that can be done via the Terminal, you can get temporary root access by using the "sudo" command.
But if you REALLY want to login as root, here's how to enable it and login as root:
1. Open the NetInfo Manager application in the /Applications/Utilities folder.
2. Go to the Domain menu, then drag down to the Security submenu, and choose "Authenticate...". Put in an administrator login and password and press return or the "OK" button.
3. Go again to the Domain menu, again to the Security submenu, and then drag down to the "Enable Root User..." menu item.
4. You probably won't have put in a root user password yet. It will prompt you to provide a root user password and verify it. Do so.
5. Root user is now enabled. Now just logout from the Apple menu, and then at the login screen, use the login name "root" and provide the password you just set.
This will log you in as the root user. Note that you can do ANYTHING when logged in as root, including deleting essential files. Proceed with caution.
But if you REALLY want to login as root, here's how to enable it and login as root:
1. Open the NetInfo Manager application in the /Applications/Utilities folder.
2. Go to the Domain menu, then drag down to the Security submenu, and choose "Authenticate...". Put in an administrator login and password and press return or the "OK" button.
3. Go again to the Domain menu, again to the Security submenu, and then drag down to the "Enable Root User..." menu item.
4. You probably won't have put in a root user password yet. It will prompt you to provide a root user password and verify it. Do so.
5. Root user is now enabled. Now just logout from the Apple menu, and then at the login screen, use the login name "root" and provide the password you just set.
This will log you in as the root user. Note that you can do ANYTHING when logged in as root, including deleting essential files. Proceed with caution.
You can either do:
sudo mycommand
and it will prompt you for your password
password:
or you can do
sudo mycommand password
sudo mycommand
and it will prompt you for your password
password:
or you can do
sudo mycommand password
Oh, well, maybe I was wrong, I thought that would work.
houchin
Registered
Or just do what almost everyone, includding Apple, recommends: Don't enable the root password. sudo can do everything you need.
use "sudo <cmd>" to just execute single commands, or "sudo -s" to start a new command line shell with root privledges.
By enabling root, you open up a whole lot of security issues, especially for network connected systems (almost all of the sendmail and such hacks rely on the attacker having root access). If you don't enable root access, then all of these attacks are cut off.
use "sudo <cmd>" to just execute single commands, or "sudo -s" to start a new command line shell with root privledges.
By enabling root, you open up a whole lot of security issues, especially for network connected systems (almost all of the sendmail and such hacks rely on the attacker having root access). If you don't enable root access, then all of these attacks are cut off.
houchin
Registered
sudo stands for "superuser do"
It allows you to execute other commands as if you were logged in as root.
You log into the system and open terminal as normal. Just put "sudo"
before the command you want to execute as root (or superuser).
For example, to edit the inet config file, you would enter:
sudo vi /etc/inetd.conf
It will then ask you for your password, and you give it your normal password
(as long as you're an admin user). If you "sudo" another command within
a few minutes, it remembers that you've already proved your an admin and you don't have to type your password.
If you have a lot of stuff to do as root, type "sudo -s" as a command all by itself and it starts a new shell as root. Type "exit" when you're done to return to non-root status.
You do not want to enable the root password, because thsi will prevent a lot of security problems which rely on someone logging on as root (like through sendmail)
It allows you to execute other commands as if you were logged in as root.
You log into the system and open terminal as normal. Just put "sudo"
before the command you want to execute as root (or superuser).
For example, to edit the inet config file, you would enter:
sudo vi /etc/inetd.conf
It will then ask you for your password, and you give it your normal password
(as long as you're an admin user). If you "sudo" another command within
a few minutes, it remembers that you've already proved your an admin and you don't have to type your password.
If you have a lot of stuff to do as root, type "sudo -s" as a command all by itself and it starts a new shell as root. Type "exit" when you're done to return to non-root status.
You do not want to enable the root password, because thsi will prevent a lot of security problems which rely on someone logging on as root (like through sendmail)
ZeroAltitude
Registered
Hi,
The thing I have not yet figured out (just 3 weeks in, forgive me!) is how you'd launch GUI apps from the command line with sudo <command>. I enabled root partly because there were some apps that 'won't run in console mode' but needed to be root to do some of the things I wanted.
I know how to tell X apps how to launch in a running X display, but how do you run Aqua apps from the command line in mac OSX?
-ZeroAltitude
The thing I have not yet figured out (just 3 weeks in, forgive me!) is how you'd launch GUI apps from the command line with sudo <command>. I enabled root partly because there were some apps that 'won't run in console mode' but needed to be root to do some of the things I wanted.
I know how to tell X apps how to launch in a running X display, but how do you run Aqua apps from the command line in mac OSX?
-ZeroAltitude
houchin
Registered
You can try:
sudo open -a <app>
For example, to launch BBEdit 6.5 as root, you could enter
sudo open -a "BBEdit 6.5"
(The quotes are only required if there's a space in the application name)
This is the equivalent of double clicking on a file in the finder.
You can also get the shareware app "Pseudo" which does it with a GUI
interface.
sudo open -a <app>
For example, to launch BBEdit 6.5 as root, you could enter
sudo open -a "BBEdit 6.5"
(The quotes are only required if there's a space in the application name)
This is the equivalent of double clicking on a file in the finder.
You can also get the shareware app "Pseudo" which does it with a GUI
interface.
xoot
Got xoot?
2 steps to make enabling root EASIER (via Terminal)
1) Type "sudo passwd root" and type in the root password
2) Root user is enabled! Now you can just select the "other user" checkbox in System Preferences and logout. Then, click on other user and type in:
"root" for the login field
Your password for the password field
1) Type "sudo passwd root" and type in the root password
2) Root user is enabled! Now you can just select the "other user" checkbox in System Preferences and logout. Then, click on other user and type in:
"root" for the login field
Your password for the password field
Gwailo
B.A. Economics (Hon)
Once you're logged into the terminal as yourself, on the command line just type
su root
it will then prompt for root password. This way you can login as root remotely (or lcoally) without enabling root. Also unlike sudo you can perform commands at the shell, without just passing commands as argument (which is my understanding of sudo).
su root
it will then prompt for root password. This way you can login as root remotely (or lcoally) without enabling root. Also unlike sudo you can perform commands at the shell, without just passing commands as argument (which is my understanding of sudo).
sudo passwd root
Then there is a prompt for a new password . The root account is setup at factory install without a password so all you have to do is type one in to enable it .
su root
Then enter the password you choose .
You can check your commands if you forget them , just type :
history
You can add new users from the terminal .
Check out the darwinfo faq
http://www.darwinfo.org/faq.shtml
Scroll down to User Management on the faq .
You just have to use 000 for uid and gid to make the new user have root privilages.
Then there is a prompt for a new password . The root account is setup at factory install without a password so all you have to do is type one in to enable it .
su root
Then enter the password you choose .
You can check your commands if you forget them , just type :
history
You can add new users from the terminal .
Check out the darwinfo faq
http://www.darwinfo.org/faq.shtml
Scroll down to User Management on the faq .
You just have to use 000 for uid and gid to make the new user have root privilages.
MDLarson
Registered
OK, totally new Mac OS X guy here;
I created two users initially, and now I just want to have one user. So I deleted the second user and assigned it to "Administrator", not "Matt Larson". So the user is deleted, but the folder is now labeled "username Deleted", and the root is the owner.
As a total newbie, could somebody post very explicit instructions for getting rid of this folder? Sounds like messing with the root access is a little dangerous.
-Matt
edit: red text added!
I created two users initially, and now I just want to have one user. So I deleted the second user and assigned it to "Administrator", not "Matt Larson". So the user is deleted, but the folder is now labeled "username Deleted", and the root is the owner.
As a total newbie, could somebody post very explicit instructions for getting rid of this folder? Sounds like messing with the root access is a little dangerous.
-Matt
edit: red text added!