Auto login to root

Pytheas · 05-14-2008, 11:23 AM

Hi guys. I am using Fedora Core 9 and I am wondering if there is any way that I can make my system auto logging as root. Sorry for the ignorance newbie

forrestt · 05-14-2008, 11:54 AM

You REALLY don't want to log into root if you don't have to (and you really DON'T have to). If you need to do something as root, a permission dialog will pop up asking for the root password. If you enter it, you can do whatever is needed to do as root without being logged in as root.

Linux is NOT Windows. In Windows you HAVE to log in as an administrator to do almost anything. In Linux this is NOT the case. This is one of the things that makes Linux more secure than Windows. In Windows, if you are logged in as administrator, EVERYTHING you run has the potential to totally take over your entire system. The same is true if you run as root in Linux. If however, you run as a normal user, the only thing that can be taken over is your account. And, you can still do all the things that are needed to administer your system by entering the root password (which has a timeout associated with it, so you don't have to do it for every command).

If you are so determined to log in as root as your standard user and you go online, YOU WILL BE HACKED. If this is for some computer that you keep in a closet and it will never go on the internet, then O.K.

I have not logged into a root GUI account in probably 10 years (and even that was only for a short period of time).

Forrest

Pytheas · 05-14-2008, 12:33 PM

well thanks but it really is a computer locked in a closet to which only I have acces and i m not surfing with it. But I trully need to log in as root automatically... Is there any way?

Emerson · 05-14-2008, 12:52 PM

What that need might be. Amazingly enough only new to *nix seem to have "truly need to login as root". Maybe we can help you to eliminate this need and set up your computer in a sane way?

juergen · 05-14-2008, 01:50 PM

The answer depends very much on what you would like to log in to.
For a regular tty, you can look for the lies that set up the tty's in /etc/inittab (typically near the bottom) and replace the line that sets up tty1 (for example) with something like:

Code:

1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f root </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

I must admit that I haven't tried that specifically on FC9, but the method should be pretty portable.

Good luck!

forrestt · 05-14-2008, 02:12 PM

If you truly "need" to log in as root, your system isn't configured correctly. It is much better (and in the long run easier) to reconfigure your system to remove that need. I'll be more than happy to help you do that. I'm not going to tell you how to log into a GUI automatically because someone else who isn't using a computer locked in a closet may find the information, and I want my stance to be perfectly clear, "IT IS A VERY VERY VERY BAD IDEA!!!".

Also, I didn't say "surfing with it". I said "never go on the internet", meaning, you are in no way networking this computer.

HTH

Forrest

p.s. Search Google for "autologin root" if you really don't want to take our advice.

chrism01 · 05-14-2008, 07:21 PM

Just tell us why you think you need to do this, its extremely rare that its actually the case.

Pytheas · 05-15-2008, 11:23 AM

ok guys thanks for nothing...

bsdunix · 05-15-2008, 02:15 PM

Found this doing a Google search:

Automatic Login not working on Fedora 9
http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/sho...72&postcount=4

Disclaimer: I've never tried it and I don't recommend auto logins.

Takebacker · 05-15-2008, 02:21 PM

Sorry, but can anyone tell me how to become root on ubuntu? Thanks! ^^

bsdunix · 05-15-2008, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Takebacker

Sorry, but can anyone tell me how to become root on ubuntu? Thanks! ^^

Please start a new thread for a different topic.

By default, the root account password is locked in Ubuntu.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo