Ubuntu server are you root

I am presuming you are quite new to Linux.

But when you run the command, you encounter this error:

E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend – open (13: Permission denied)
E: Unable to acquire the dpkg frontend lock (/var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend), are you root?

A similar error is this one:

dpkg: error: required read/write access to the dpkg database directory /var/lib/dpkg
E: Sub-process dpkg –set-selections returned an error code (2)
E: Executing dpkg failed. Are you root?

Both errors ask you the same question: are you root? And that’s the answer to this problem. Become root.

Become root to avoid this error

How do you become root in Ubuntu or Debian? You use the sudo command.

Yes, that’s it. Whatever command you were running, just add sudo before it.

sudo your_command

There is nothing wrong with your system. In most Linux systems, password typing doesn’t show the usual asterisks or anything of that sort as a ‘security feature’.

Just type your password and press enter after it. If the password was typed correctly, you should be able to run the command now.

You can even use this handy Linux command line trick to run a previous command with sudo:

sudo !!

That was simple and works immediately, unless you do not have sudo access. Then, you’ll see a different error.

Seeing a ‘User is not in sudoer file’ error?

Where is the incident reported?

The location of these logs differ from distribution to distribution.

Normally, you may find it in journalctl logs or /var/log/auth.log file in Ubuntu, /var/log/audit/audit.log file in Fedora.

What can you do if a user is not in sudoer list?

• Log in as root or switch to root (if you have root password).
• Add the user into sudoer list (if you have admin/sudo rights from some other user account).
• If you are in multi-user Linux system and do not have root or sudo access yourself, ask your sytem administrator to either grant your user sudo access or install the application you wanted to install.

Did this help?

I hope while solving this classic beginner problem, you get some initial insights into the sudo command. Let me know if you have further questions on this topic in the comment section.

Either you run commands with root privilege like this:

sudo any_command

sudo su

What is root user? Why is it locked in Ubuntu?

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. If you have to cut a fruit, you use a kitchen knife. If you have to cut down a tree, you have to use a saw. Now, you may use the saw to cut fruits but that’s not wise, is it?

Does this mean that you cannot be root in Ubuntu or use the system with root privileges? No, you can still have root access with the help of ‘sudo’ (explained in the next section).

How to run commands as root user in Ubuntu?

apt update
Reading package lists... Done
E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (13: Permission denied)
E: Unable to lock directory /var/lib/apt/lists/
W: Problem unlinking the file /var/cache/apt/pkgcache.bin - RemoveCaches (13: Permission denied)
W: Problem unlinking the file /var/cache/apt/srcpkgcache.bin - RemoveCaches (13: Permission denied)

So, how do you run commands as root? The simple answer is to add sudo before the commands that require to be run as root.

sudo apt update

[email protected]:~$ sudo apt update
[sudo] password for abhishek: 

If you are absolutely new to Linux, you might be surprised that when you start typing your password in the terminal, nothing happens on the screen. This is perfectly normal because as the default security feature, nothing is displayed on the screen. Not even the asterisks (*). You type your password and press enter.

Bottom line:
To run commands as root in Ubuntu, add sudo before the command.
When asked for password, enter your account’s password.
When you type the password on the screen, nothing is visible. Just keep on typing the password and press enter.

How to become root user in Ubuntu?

The sudo command allows you to simulate a root login shell with this command:

sudo -i

[email protected]:~$ sudo -i
[sudo] password for abhishek: 
[email protected]:~# whoami
root
[email protected]:~# 

You’ll notice that when you switch to root, the shell command prompt changes from $ (dollar key sign) to # (pound key sign). This makes me crack a (lame) joke that pound is stronger than dollar.

sudo su

If you try to use the su command without sudo, you’ll encounter ‘su authentication failure’ error.

exit

How to enable root user in Ubuntu?

sudo passwd root

Again, this is not recommended and I won’t encourage you to do that on your desktop. If you forgot it, you won’t be able to change the root password in Ubuntu again.

sudo passwd -dl root

I hope you have a slightly better understanding of the root concept now. If you still have some confusion and questions about it, please let me know in the comments. I’ll try to answer your questions and might update the article as well.

By default, Ubuntu disables the root account. You must use the sudo command for any tasks requiring root privileges.

This is for your own security, of course. Using the system as root all the time is like running around with a sword in your hand. It increases the chances of messing up things.

Logging in as root is still common in the servers. On the desktop side, it’s quite rare to log in as root. Even Kali Linux has changed it.

in this guide, I will show you how to log in as a root in your GNOME desktop using Ubuntu.

How to login as a root in the GNOME desktop

Step 1: Enable root account

You want to log in as root. But the root account is disabled by default. The first step is to enable it.

Change the root account password that will eventually enable the root account for you:

sudo passwd root

It goes without saying that you should not forget the root password.

Step 2: Change GDM configuration

Ubuntu uses GNOME by default and GNOME uses the GDM display manager.

To allow log in as root into GNOME, you need to make some changes in the GDM configuration file located at /etc/gdm3/custom.conf.

Make a backup of the config file:

cp /etc/gdm3/custom.conf /etc/gdm3/custom.conf~

In the worst case, if you somehow mess things up, the back up file can be used to replace the existing one from the TTY.

sudo nano /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

AllowRoot=true

Press Ctrl+X to exit Nano while saving it.

Step 3: Configure PAM authentication

sudo nano /etc/pam.d/gdm-password

auth   required        pam_succeed_if.so user != root quiet_success

Save changes and exit from the nano text editor.

Step 4: Log in as root

Now, reboot your system:

reboot

That’s it! Now, you are running your Ubuntu system as a root.

Things you should know when running the system as a root user

There is a reason why Ubuntu disables a root account by default. Want to know why? Here you have it:

List of content you will read in this article:

If you are a newbie, you may be scratching your head about how to enable your root account in Ubuntu! Well, for several security purposes, the ubuntu root login account is kept disabled. Before we begin, here is some preface. 

When you install Ubuntu, a root account is created. The issue here is that you do not have the provision to set the password for the account. 

sudo grep root /etc/passwd

The x in the output signifies that the account’s password is empty.

sudo grep root /etc/shadow

• Temporary Method
• Command-Line and Graphical User Interface Method
• Command-Line Method

1: How to enable Ubuntu root Login Temporarily?

2: How to enable root user in ubuntu via Graphical User Interface?

Type root in the first textbox.

Type your root account password.

As soon as you type the password, you encounter an error message. The reason is that a security layer in the graphical interface stops any login until and unless several other configuration files are configured. 

sudo cp /etc/gdm3/custom.conf /etc/gdm3/custom.conf_backup

sudo cp /etc/pam.d/gdm-password /etc/pam.d/gdm-password_backup

Now, simply, open the “/etc/gdm3/custom.conf” configuration file

sudo vi /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

Press save and exit. 

Now, open “/etc/pam.d/gdm-password” which is a configuration file.

Just save and hit exit on the ‘gdm’ configuration file.

sudo reboot -f

As you have rebooted your system, login into the root account now.

You can log in to the root account easily. 

sudo passwd -dl root

Reverse whatever changes you made in the two configuration files earlier. 

Delete “AllowRoot=true” from the “/etc/gdm3/custom.conf” configuration file as shown below.

Next, delete the ‘#’ from  “/etc/pam.d/gdm-password”.

And you are done!

3: How to enable ubuntu root in Command-line?

Using the command-line method, you can easily enable or disable the root account through the command line. Here, you cannot log in through a graphical interface.

sudo -i passwd root

su – root

sudo passwd -dl root

To be sure, switch to the root account and see if the process is successful.

su - root

If you see the same message as the above image, then yes, you have successfully disabled the account, as now you can see that the authentication has failed. 

Conclusion

We hope that the article solved your queries and provided you with a better understanding of the topic. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comment section below.

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How to change Ubuntu root password?

1. Open the terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for «Terminal» in the Ubuntu Dash.
2. Type the command «sudo passwd root» and press Enter. You will be prompted to enter your current user password.
3. After authenticating, you can set a new password for the root user. Make sure to choose a strong and secure password.
4. Retype the new password when prompted to confirm.
5. Once the password change is successful, you can exit the terminal.

How to change the Ubuntu default password using the command line?

1. Launch the terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for «Terminal» in the applications menu.
2. To change the root password, you need administrative privileges. Execute the following command to access root privileges: sudo -i
3. Once you have root privileges, enter the following command to change the root password: passwd

You will be prompted to enter a new password. Make sure to choose a strong and secure password that includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Note that the password will not be visible as you type.

4. After entering the new password, you will be prompted to confirm it. Re-enter the password carefully, ensuring it matches exactly as you intended.
5. If the password change is successful, you will receive a confirmation message. Your Ubuntu system’s root password is now updated.

Remember to keep your root password confidential and avoid using easily guessable information. Regularly changing your passwords enhances the overall security of your Ubuntu system.

How to change default root password Ubuntu using GUI?

1. Launch the Terminal: Open the Terminal by clicking on the Applications menu, typing «Terminal» in the search bar, and selecting the Terminal application.
2. Access User Accounts: Type «sudo gnome-control-center user-accounts» command in the Terminal and press Enter. This command will open the User Accounts settings.
3. Authenticate: Enter your user password when prompted to authenticate your access.
4. Modify Root Account: In the User Accounts settings, select the » root » account and click the «Password» button.
5. Set New Password: Enter the new password for the root account in the provided fields. Make sure to choose a strong and secure password.
6. Apply Changes: Click on the «Change» or «Apply» button to save your changes to the root password.
7. Confirm Changes: Close the User Accounts settings and log out of your session. To apply the new root password, you need to log back in using the updated credentials.

Remember, changing the root password in Ubuntu enhances the overall security of your system by preventing unauthorized access. Ensure you choose a unique and robust password to maintain the integrity of your Ubuntu installation.

How to reset the default ubuntu password?

Forgot your Ubuntu login password? If you haven’t used Ubuntu for a long time, and now you want to login in, and you don’t remember your password. So here is the method to reset your Ubuntu Password. You quickly get your password, and you don’t even need to reinstall it.

How to reset or change root password:

Open up the terminal!

After opening the terminal, type the command sudo space passwd space root

• [ Sudo passwd root ] & press enter
• Enter the new root password and press Enter button
• Retype root password and enter
• Password changed successfully

To verify your new password, use this command.

• su root  & press Enter key 
• Now Enter the new given password of your Ubuntu and press Enter Key

Now you can use your new Ubuntu Root Password. You have successfully made a new password to the Ubuntu root terminal.

How to reset Ubuntu’s root password from Recovery Mode

1. Start or restart your Ubuntu system.
2. When the GRUB boot menu appears, select the advanced options for Ubuntu and choose the recovery mode option. If you don’t see the GRUB boot menu, you may need to press and hold the Shift key during startup to make it appear.
3. In the recovery mode menu, select the option that says «root Drop to root shell prompt.» This will drop you into a root shell with root privileges.
4. Remount the file system in read/write mode by running the following command:

mount -o remount,rw /

5. Next, you need to change the root password. Use the following command to set a new password:

You will be prompted to enter the new password twice. Note that when you type the password, it won’t be visible on the screen for security reasons. Press Enter once you’ve entered the new password.

6. After setting the new password, you can reboot your system by running:

Remember to keep the root password secure and make sure to remember it or store it in a safe place.

How to switch a root user account in Ubuntu

Sudo Users

The first time you use Sudo, you will be prompted to enter the password. If you want to run the command with sudo without entering the password, you must edit the sudoers file.

What are Ubuntu default login credentials?

What is the Ubuntu Default Root Password?

How to enable root account in Ubuntu?

1. Open a terminal: Press `Ctrl + Alt + T` on your keyboard to open a terminal window.

4. Next, you will be asked to enter the new password for the root account. Type your desired password and press Enter. Please note that while typing the password, no characters will be displayed on the screen for security reasons.

5. Confirm the new password by typing it again and pressing Enter.

How to disable your root user account in Ubuntu?

1. Open a terminal on your Ubuntu system.
2. Run the following command to set a password for the root account (if you haven’t already done so): sudo passwd root

You will be prompted to enter and confirm a new password for the root account.

3. Once the root password is set, run the following command to lock the root account: sudo passwd -l root

This command locks the root account, effectively disabling it.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ubuntu

Here you can find the pros and cons of using Ubuntu leaving root logins disabled by default, includes:

• People often forget their login passwords occasionally (the root password).

• It avoids the access of «I can do anything» login by default. It will prompt for a password earlier; the changes can happen!

• Sudo adds a log access of the command(s) run (in /var/log/auth.log). In case you were in trouble, you can go to the authorities and run.

• Every cracker trying to brute-force their manner in on a server will know it has an account named root and could try that first.

• What they do not know is the usernames of your other users. Due to the fact that the root account password is locked, this attack doesn’t pose any threat at all as there may be no password to crack or guess inside the first location.

• Allows easy transfer of admin rights by adding or removing users. When you use only one Ubuntu root password, you could change the root password if you forgot.

• Sudo may be set up with a safety policy.

Automatically the authentication expires after some time (you can also set the time duration). So if you walk away or leave your desktop a few times from the terminal after running commands as root using sudo, you will not be leaving a root terminal open indefinitely.

Conclusion 

You can also add special characters to your password. Add up to at least 16 characters with upper, and lowercase letters and numbers. It is how we can change the default root password.