Editor’s Note:
The following information is for advanced users. Enabling root user should be taken very seriously because it can leave your computer open to attacks and corrupt files. We are not responsible for damaged or lost data to this or any other tip(s) that we may provide. Use at your own risk!
In a Unix system, the root level is a master user that can change anything he/she wants if they know how. It is necessary to enable this access to do some administrative tasks on a system. One only has to enable this access once.
Enabling root should be taken seriously and disabled when he/she is finished with what ever the root user needed to do.
Enabling root in Mac OS X (or even Mac OS) is a straight forward process IF one knows what to do.
- Do a Spotlight search for the Directory Utility.
- Click on the gold lock in the lower-left corner.
- Enter the Administrator’s password when prompted.
- Choose [Edit] > [Enable Root User].
- Enter a password you wish to have for that access level.
- Click OK.
Now to gain access to it, follow these steps:
- Do a Spotlight search for the Terminal window.
- At the Terminal prompt, type in: su –
- When prompted, enter the password you put in when you first enabled root.
- You’re now the root user.
To protect the operating system, closing the Terminal window when you’re finished should automatically log the person out of root. Always close the window when you’re done with this access.
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