No access to anything requiring root privileges

[KyleK]

Hey. Im a super newb.

For some unknown reason I cannot login to anything requiring root privileges. I didnt change my password at all (I can login fine when I boot up) but anytime I go to make changes (adept, console) I get a message stating wrong password!!!

I tried booting into recovery and changing my password, but the password is what I know it is, it does not change. But I just cant seem to use it for adept like I could for the first couple days.

I really really do not want to re-install again. It would be the 4th time in one week of Kubuntu use.

Anyone know how to resolve this?

Thanks for the help!

-The Newb

[kornel]

Re: No access to anything requiring root privileges

Try to use _your_ own password, not the one from root.
This was confusing me too the first time I used kubuntu.


Kornel

[keantoken]

Re: No access to anything requiring root privileges

There is a password from root? I just installed Kubuntu a few weeks ago and I don't seem to remember any confusion of that sort...

I'll post this just in case our friend needs a bit of extra guidance:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _______________

If you haven't already, go into recovery mode and check if your command prompt looks like this:

root@<whateveryounamedyourcomputer>:~#

If it does not, skip the following paragraph. If it does (meaning that you are already logged in as root), then simply type in

startx

and press enter to start the X server (therefore starting KDE as well). You should have all root privileges. Now if you want to be able to view and modify all files, you can go to the properties on each of your hard drives, click on the "permissions" tab, check the "apply changes to all subfolders and their content" box, and proceed to edit the permissions to your liking. If you need some advice on how to do this, ask and I'll reply if no one else does before me. About Adept and that stuff... I think you could do it in the "users" thing in system settings, but I'm not quite sure how.

If Recovery Mode does not automatically log you in as Root; If it doesn't ask you for your password for maintenance when it boots into recovery mode (if it does, input your password and press enter), and you are not logged in automatically as root, type in

login

and press enter. Now type in "root" (because the root username is root), press enter, and then type in your password, and press enter again. You should now be logged in as root. Now proceed to read the paragraph you skipped.


IF ALL ELSE FAILS:

Log in as a normal user, open Konsole, type in

telinit 1

and press enter. You are now in single-user command line mode. Do the login thing as described above, then do startx, and you should be in root user mode.

IF ALL ALL ELSE FAILS:

Google for "systemrescuecd"


I don't know how much this may help, if at all, but Kubuntu is still mostly a mystery to me as well. You can see by looking at my threads in this forum. All that I learned here, was MOSTLY from sheer random experimentation and exploration.

- keantoken

[Fintan]

Re: No access to anything requiring root privileges

Boot in recovery mode, first go into K->system config->users and check if your user is in the admin group. If it is you have one problem less, if it isn't add admin to the user group. Then in konqueror navigate to: /etc/sudoers and see if it looks something like this:

# /etc/sudoers
#
# This file MUST be edited with the 'visudo' command as root.
#
# See the man page for details on how to write a sudoers file.
# Host alias specification

# User alias specification

# Cmnd alias specification

# Defaults

Defaults !lecture,tty_tickets,!fqdn,timestamp_timeout=0

# User privilege specification
root ALL=(ALL) ALL

# Members of the admin group may gain root privileges
%admin ALL=(ALL) ALL




If it does there is one more problem less.
If it doesn't then copy the above sudoers text, make backup of your sudoer and paste the new copy into your existing file deleting the old.Save, close everything and reboot.

Everything should be back to normal

For some reason unknown to me some app or action on your part has corupted your sudoers file.

I hope that helps

[kornel]

Re: No access to anything requiring root privileges

There is a password from root? I just installed Kubuntu a few weeks ago and I don't seem to remember any confusion of that sort...

There should be ... check /etc/passwd for root-entry.

As to your other problem: did you check, that your "sudo" command is still functioning?
Kornel

[Fintan]

Re: No access to anything requiring root privileges

If you haven't changed the root password (by doing "sudo passwd root"), it will be same you gave at installation, as the first user normally has admin rights.
That is the idea behind sudo.

[askrieger]

Re: No access to anything requiring root privileges

Please DO NOT run the command "sudo passwd root" until you have read this page at the Ubuntu Community Help Wiki. Using a root password is A VERY BAD IDEA from the view point of both system security and convenience.. It's also unnecessary.

Bite your tongue, run 10 miles and give up ice cream for two weeks before you do it.

[keantoken]

Re: No access to anything requiring root privileges

There is a password from root? I just installed Kubuntu a few weeks ago and I don't seem to remember any confusion of that sort...

There should be ... check /etc/passwd for root-entry.

Oh...!

No, just kidding. I thought you meant that there was some set password for root that works every time unless you change it or something. Actually, I've been logging on as root from recovery mode for a while now, just so that I can get everything installed and configured. I find that not having ALL privileges when you are the only user and probably the only person that will ever touch your computer is quite angering at first.

- keantoken

[Fintan]

Re: No access to anything requiring root privileges

I fully agree with askrieger and I hope you did not think I was suggesting you use "sudo passwd root" before some comprehensive reading.

Sorry if that part of my answaer was missunderstood.