How do I login as root in terminal?

Shnerdly · 2020-05-01 19:51

Hi Guys

I've been around Linux versions for a number of years. I've run various servers and desktops with Gentoo, Centos, Arch and Debian. I setteled in on Debian a few years ago. That's what my current webservers run and that is what attracted me to Q4OS, that it is Debian based. I'm not an Ubuntu fan.

I am not a strong typer so when I work in a terminal, I prefer to login as root, do my thing and log back out instead of typing sudo all the time.

I found one post that said to type su, the the password but I don't know the password. It's not the same as mine in the Trinity GUI.

I want to give Q4OS a good try because it can be configured in the GUI to work mostly like XP. I want to get my wifes machine on it but I first need to decide if I am going to be able to do the thing I want to do in it. My wife and I both really dislike Win10.

I dont expect it will matter but my current HW configuration is a Dell Precision M6500 - i7 quad core with Hyperthreading so it runs 8 threads. I has 8gb RAM and a 256 gig ssd. The thing is huge and very clunky to haul around but it's really fast.

Any help is appreciated.

Dai_trying · 2020-05-01 23:50

If you want to "become root" as a normal user I think the advised method is to use

sudo -i

That's what I use and I keep the root account disabled, although I'm not really sure if it is the best method from a security perspective it's just a habit I picked up somewhere along my Linux learning experience.

Shnerdly · 2020-05-02 13:57

OK, Thanks Dai_trying, I'll give it a try.

I did find a way to get logged in to a console as root. I used the SU Terminal to set a root PW. Now I can just Ctrl-Alt-F1 and log in.

I don't generally find any issue with using root. I run 2 webservers and both only have root and no GUI. One is on a local machine here, the other is on a colo machine at a hosting company here in MN. I just use ssh to access them.

On this machine though, I don't mind not being root. Once it's all setup, there's no need to be root.

Shnerdly · 2020-05-02 14:02

I tried sudo -i and it works great from the GUI Terminal. We'll see if I can remember to do that. I'm used to going to a console not in the GUI.

Dai_trying · 2020-05-02 15:16

You're welcome

nimch · 2025-08-07 11:24

Hi,
To log in as root in the terminal, you can use the su or sudo command, depending on your system configuration. On most Linux systems, type sudo -i or sudo su and enter your user password when prompted. If sudo isn’t configured, use su and enter the root password. Note: Logging in as root should be done cautiously, as it grants full access to your system.

crosscourt · 2025-08-07 20:20

Welcome to the forums nimch. Do you realize this thread was from 2020 and was solved at that time, by Dai-trying.

Last edited by crosscourt (2025-08-07 20:31)

rane46 · 2025-08-13 19:40

Hi
To log in as root in the terminal, open your terminal application and type sudo -i or su - depending on your system. sudo -i will prompt you for your user password and give you a root shell, while su - requires the root password directly. Be cautious when using root access, as it grants full control over your system. Always double-check commands before executing them, since mistakes can affect system stability or delete important files.

Q4OS Forum

#1 2020-05-01 19:51

How do I login as root in terminal?

#2 2020-05-01 23:50

Re: How do I login as root in terminal?

#3 2020-05-02 13:57

Re: How do I login as root in terminal?

#4 2020-05-02 14:02

Re: How do I login as root in terminal?

#5 2020-05-02 15:16

Re: How do I login as root in terminal?

#6 2025-08-07 11:24

Re: How do I login as root in terminal?

#7 2025-08-07 20:20

Re: How do I login as root in terminal?

#8 2025-08-13 19:40

Re: How do I login as root in terminal?

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