How Do You Become A Superuser?
Unlike in Windows XP, in order to perform actions that may affect your computer (such as installing software), users have to enter passwords in *nix systems (Linux, BSD, Mac OS X). This gives them some root privileges and is called becoming superuser (abbreviated to su). • Check with your administrator if you as an ordinary user can become superuser (some admins disable it). • Try typing a command which needs root access prefixed with sudo (Ubuntu uses this) then your own user password. • Try typing su but seperately rather than as a prefix (MEPIS and Sidux use this) then type the root password. • In KDE bring up the Kmenu then going to run, then running kdesu. • If you still cannot become root, try and open a root terminal from the menu. • If successful you should be prompted for a password, your own if sudo, the root password if su. Enter the password.
