Admin users appearing as group20(staff) Can't enable root user

I'm trying to create a new default user template for a load of machines at work. According to everything I've found online in order to do this I need to log in as the root superuser but when I attempt to do so the terminal gives me a 'sorry' response to my admin account password. Terminal command
id
shows my account as
GID=20(staff)
even though Terminal command
dscl . read /groups/admin GroupMembership
lists users root and ict (my admin account)
I've tried creating a new local admin account and that also appears as group20.
Can someone perhaps steer me in the right direction?
Many thanks
JSL

I still don't understand why my admin users don't show up as group 80 with the id command though
It's normal for an admin user to be given the primary group ID = staff (GID 20), and also to be a member of a number of additional groups, including the admin group (80).
Running the id command when logged into a newly-created admin account t1, I got:
~ t1$ id
uid=505(t1) gid=20(staff) groups=20(staff),204(_developer),100(_lpoperator),98(_lpadmin),81(_appserveradm),80(admin),
79(_appserverusr),61(localaccounts),12(everyone),401(com.apple.access_screenshar ing),
402(com.apple.sharepoint.group.1)
Do you see something different?

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Can't enable root user?

I am following the instructions on the Apple website to enable the root user, and it says that after you enter your admin password on the Directory Utility window, to simply pick 'Enable Root User' from the 'Edit' menu. I don't see any menu that says 'edit', or anything that says, 'enable root user.' Help?
Thank you!

I think you mean single user mode, which is done by booting while holding down "comman + S" keys.
Single user mode, while it enables you with root privileges is not the same as working as root from a normal bootup sequence. SU mode only loads a very minimal system, with most of the kernel extensions and system daemons dis-abled. It also mounts your disk in read-only mode. In order to do anything other than rudimentary trouble shooting in SU mode (like running fsck), you are going to have to know a fair bit of UNIX command line knowledge to start up or enable things you may want or need (like write capability to disc contents, or networking).
The keyboard is limited to ANSI terminal settings, so no foreign language support.
So, if you are doing something that actually requires a root terminal session (installing something from source code, for example), just login normally, start Terminal, and enter "sudo su -". Enter your admin password and you will be in a root terminal session, but with a full, normally booted system and all its features.

Can't enable root user in single user mode

hey, im having a problem. I cant enable the root user in single user mode. This is what I do:
1.boot in single user mode
2.I run the command /sbin/fsck -fy
3.I run the command /sbin/mount -uw /
4.I run the command passwd
5.I type the password and then I retype it, but it gives me an error saying passwd: cant change password for root the account is not enabled (thats not exactly what it said, but you get the point)
this worked in leopard, why dosent it work now? can someone give me an alternative way or tell me what im doing wrong?
P.S. give me an actual answer not a why enable root? and I dont want to use directory utility.

The command is wrong man. Do the following:
Boot into S.U. Mode (Cmd+S).
once the terminal prompt opens, type the following:
mount -uw / ("mount"+space+"-uw"+space+slash)
launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.opendirectoryd.plist
passwd root
(after you press enter it will ask the password for the root user. Type it, even if it won't show any character. Then type again to confirm. Once you had finished type: exit).
Test it and post the results.

HT1528 I can not find the enable root user in, I am using Lion

I can not find the enable root user in, I am using Lion

First off, it is a "Bad" idea to enable 'root', as that is the one known account that exists on every Unix system. If 'root' is enabled, it makes it much easier to break into a Mac via the one account that has absolute control over everything.
Having said that...
i too do not observe in editor section enable root user when I perform what Kappy offered in link.
Did you click on "Login Options" to get the "Join..." button?
Did you click on "Open Directory Utility" ?
Did you go to the Menu Bar and click "Edit"? It should be right there 2/3's of the way down the "Edit" menu -> "Enable Root User"
If you want another way.
Start an Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal session
sudo su -
password: <enter your admin password here>
passwd
Changing password for root.
New password:
Retype new password:
You have now enabled 'root'. I hope you gave 'root' a very VERY STRONG password, as you have just opened yourself up for script kiddies to go after your root account.

Very strange: can not enable root.

One of my old G4 behaves very strange, unless everything is running very well, I can't log in as root.
Also after enabling root in NetInfo manager, I can't login as root, neither as user nor using SSH.
I resetted the Pasword using the Install-DVD. But still no effect.
Finally i deleted the root account using NetInfoManager and deleted the root home dirctory /private/var/root.
So I was able to activate root in NIM again, restarted the local NetInfo-Domain and again: nothing.
It is complete impossible to log into this machine as root. But I have to.
Making a complete new install on this mac will cost me at least one day, so this is not an option.
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Should the features and access you require not work in 10.4.11, you may have to
consider installing a new system folder and update that; if the issue really is one
of some unusual happening and the superuser or root user is inaccessible.
Are you sure you really need root user access? There are other ways to do stuff.
You appear to have already tried the basic steps to gain root level access:
"Enabling the Root User" - an Apple Help 10.4 support document:
- http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh1549.html
This thread really does show more than one way to handle the issue...
"How do I enable root user? - 10.5.x"
{includes a 'command line editor" discussion - and other detailed options}
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There may also be some helpful access to command line and other
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Changing short name - cannot enable root user??

Hi I encountered a problem trying to enable the root user in order to follow the steps to change my short name. As I follow the steps into opening Directory Utility and entering my administrator account name and password. Here's where I'm stuck at, there is no "Edit" button asking me to enable the root user. Anyone have any idea what I should do now?

ow88 wrote:
Alright I have no idea why I can't edit my own post, but anyways..
You only have about 10 minutes to edit.
did a little research, turns out it gets more complicating than that. It messes up your files, locks you out, and you lose being your own adminstrator? But since I have nothing saved, this doesn't affect me right?
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Hi
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Cannot enable root user

When I set up my user account last year when I got this computer, I am pretty sure I remember a shortname being filled in or suggested to me, and it had an uppercase character for its first letter. So, my short name is "Name" -- except, you know, instead of "Name" it's my first name.
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https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3872.
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Hi, I'm new to everything Mac, but I'm trying to learn. Just purchased a used mid-2011 iMac from an individual. I love the iMac. Just a few kinks to work out. One is that he had originally named either the user account or home directory (I still can't figure out which) and i'd like to change that name. I found an Apple support article on this (Article HT1428) and I am hopeful it will work for me. However, the first step is to enable the root user. I went to Article PH11331 to follow steps to enable the root user. However, when I select Edit from within the Directory Utility, I am unable to select "Enable Root User", or even "Disable Root User" or "Change Root Password" for that matter. These options are either not there or are greyed out ("Enable Root User" is greyed out). So I have failed to even jump the first hurdle (enabling root user) towards my goal of changing the user account or home directory name (sorry I don't know which is which). Can anyone offer some advice please? Thanks!

Mac Basics: Time Machine
Back up all data to at least two different storage devices.
Boot into Recovery, launch Disk Utility, and erase the startup volume. This operation will destroy all data on the volume, so you had be better be sure of your backups. Install OS X. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade, so make a note of those before you begin.
When you reboot, you'll be prompted to go through the initial setup process. That’s when you transfer the data from one of your backups. For a walkthrough, see here:
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Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with networks that require any kind of authentication other than a WPA or WPA2 Personal password.

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Hi all,
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Thanks.
Mac Pro 2 x 2.66GHz Quad Core Xeon, 12GB RAM

flyboym535i wrote:
To etresoft: Don't you need to enable root access before you can sudo to root in the Terminal? That's what started me down this path in the first place – because I couldn't sudo to root in Terminal. Then I remembered I needed to enable root access.
No, you do not. I think you probably just weren't using sudo correctly. Normally, you just do "sudo /path/to/some/executable <program arguments>". If you are a real daredevil, you can just do "sudo bash" and give yourself a root shell.
I actually submitted an enhancement request to Apple to suggest they improve the root user process. Even when it works (and it doesn't half the time in Lion), it is horribly convoluted. I would prefer it if Lion had something like "Run as" in Windows. Apple's response to my enhancement request was "Why don't you just use sudo?". So I tried again to explain it.
Until there are significant enhancements in this area, "sudo" is the way to go.

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I read the exact same question in an earlier topic, but part of the answer doesn't make sense to me when I follow the instructions.
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Can someone help me with this? I would include a screen shot, but I don't see any way to do that in this forum.
TIA!

Thanks, really new to Mac's, (2 days now) and I guess this is just another thing that's different...

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cdefromtacoma wrote:
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I dont see "Enable Root User" on my Mac 10.7.5

After step Eight in the enable root article, it says to click Enable Root User in the Edit menu. This that once you are there, you need to go to the top of the screen its self and, on the ribbon, click Edit. The menu will drop down, and somewhere on the list you will see Enable Root User. It looks like this with any luck.
                          TOP OF SCREEN
    Directory Utility   File   Edit   Window   Help
                                            |Undo                                      |
                                            |Redo                                      |
                                            |---------------                               |
                                            |Cut                                         |
                                            |Copy                                      |
                                            |Paste                                     |
                                            |Clear                                      |
                                            |Select All                                |
                                            |---------------                               |
                                            |Change Root Password...         |
                                      ==>|Enable Root User                    |
                                            |---------------                               |
                                            |Search For Mac OS X Servers |
                                            |---------------                               |
                                            |Start Dictation                         |
                                            |Special Characters                  |

Admin users appearing as group20(staff) Can't enable root user

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