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Durandal7

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Feb 24, 2001
3,153
0
Does anyone know if there is a way to enable a root account in the OS X login window? I know all the sudo commands but I was hoping there was a way to login to OS X as root.
 

al256

macrumors 6502a
Jun 7, 2001
945
781
Go into Sys. Prefs find your log on settings and turn off auto log on then turn off user pictures or something like that. After you log out you should be able to type a user name in. I forget what root is called but it was something like
/console someone else maybe able to give you better directions.
 

crassusad44

macrumors 6502a
Nov 30, 2001
546
0
Scandinavia
enable "other" in the login window (system prefs), when you choose other in the login windows, write root as username and your root password in password. Worked for me (at least in 10.1)
 

JoeG4

macrumors 68030
Jan 11, 2002
2,827
493
There's a way!

Insert any OS 10.x disk (preferably 10.1) into your computer, restart

Hold down C to boot to the CD

When the Installer pops up, go into the menu next to the apple logo (Installer menu), and choose Reset Password...

From there, pick System Administrator (root), and change it's password to what you want (you don't need to know the old password, etc)

Then once that's done, click DOne, or QUIT, depending on the version of the installer, and go into the installer menu, select quit, and reboot

Do NOT hold down the C key this time

Once you are back in X, choose system prefs, and Login, here click the Login Window tab. Just choose the text boxes where Name and Password are, and fill name with: root

PassworD: Whatever you made it.

Remember to click the save button.

Now, choose the "Show Other User in list for network users" that way you can log in as root at the main screen. Exit system prefs (save if it asks), and log out.

At the login screen, choose Other user, and log in as root, you will now automatically always log in that way.

I hope it works :)
 

neterik

macrumors newbie
Jan 27, 2002
1
0
ny
root on osx

goto applications>>utilities>>NetInfo Manager, then goto domain>>security>>change root password, and/or authenticate
 

Hemingray

macrumors 68030
Jan 9, 2002
2,926
37
Ha ha haaa!
Logging in as root puts you in a GUI environment. Not everyone is proficient down at the command line level. I would assume that is the case...
 

MaxRool

macrumors member
Yeah, but....

Originally posted by Hemingray
Logging in as root puts you in a GUI environment. Not everyone is proficient down at the command line level. I would assume that is the case...

asurace said I know all the sudo commands therfore implying that there was some proficiency.

Technically sudo (Super User Do) allows root access to any shell command. It is not a command in itself:)

Back to the original query.
Do you want to log in as root just to see if it can be done, or is there a particular issue you are trying to solve. And maybe there is a better method to help solve it?
 

JoeG4

macrumors 68030
Jan 11, 2002
2,827
493
.

I always use root, just because I got sick and tired of dealing with file permissions, and I do know the OS pretty well (I've already 'hacked' it, by changing all the things in it, version numbers, etc, etc), and it's not THAT easy to screw it up :)

Then again, I wouldn't use root if I had someone else here.
 

Durandal7

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Feb 24, 2001
3,153
0
I do know all the sudo commands but I would just prefer to use OS X interface instead of the terminal in some cases.
 
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