Enabling the root account
Cant quite remember how to enable root under 10.5 now that netinfo manager is gone. I know it was mentioned in a session at WWDC, however, I am on the road and don't have my note book with me.
I'll keep playing around to see if i stumble across it, if i do i will post at my next stop (have a few on the way back - no direct flights).
Thanks for any help.
In the Terminal logged in as an admin user type:
sudo passwd -u root
BUT:
I don't see any point in doing that!
You can easily switch to root privileges using the "sudo" command and if you want a root-shell for convenience, you can always use either "sudo -s" or "sudo bash".
HTH
D
Similar Messages
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Can I enable the root user account from the log in screen when I am locked out of the machine?
Hello everyone,
I am working on my friends mac to get it ready to sell. I went into the advanced options of the user and changed the name of the account. That's all I changed. I did read the warning that said if anything was changed it could cause damage, that's why I only changed the name of the user account. I didn't want to mess with anything else. Well, needless to say, I am locked out of the machine. Apparently the root user, system administrator, account was not enabled and I am stuck at the screen that I can get to with my installation disc. So how can I enable the root user account and get back onto the machine from the screen I am at? Can I enable the root user from terminal? I spent a good 8 hours yesterday researching this topic and have come up empty. Changing passwords from commands in terminal is not the problem. I am given just one account to choose from to log on and it's not accepting the password because of the changes I made in the advanced options menu.
Is there any hope of getting this thing going again? Or have I just screwed myself over?
Thanks for your help!
LeahYou can reset the password.
http://pondini.org/OSX/Password.html
Do you need to recover data from it before you sell it? If not you can just wipe the disk and prepare it for sale.
See > Apple What to do before selling or giving away your Mac
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5189?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
Also See Thomas Reed's How to Prepare your Mac for sale
http://www.thesafemac.com/how-to-prepare-your-mac-for-sale/
and this thread
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5474062?tstart=0 -
How can I transfer the root account on my computer to a regular account?
Not sure if this in the correct category, but anyway...
Back in October 2010, I installed a Java update or something on my regular account, and it broke the account for some reason. I had no other account to use except for the root user that I enabled previously (just for testing). I logged into it and used it as my regular account, checking every so often to check if my regular account fixed itself. Sadly, it didn’t (at the time), but after a while, I upgraded my computer to Snow Leopard (I was previously running Leopard), I found that my old account finally fixed itself. Immediately, I attempted to copy over all of my files from the root account to the other account. I went onto the account, and it seemed to be a fresh account, so I assumed that it didn’t register the account files as legitimate and I guess it made it into a new account. I gave up after fiddling with it for a bit. To this day, I’m still using the root user as my main account, but a lot of things are broken (like Spotlight, Mail search, some other things) and I’d just like to know a clean way I could easily transfer all of the stuff from the root user to my old account (including all of the Library files and such). Please don’t say “You shouldn’t have used the root user because it’s really dangerous,” or whatever. I’ve been responsible with it for almost 2 years and I don’t think I could’ve done anything else. Thanks for any help.Its doable with Terminal. Log into your new userfolder in the /Users/ folder and open Terminal and say:
whoami
This is the owner of your newly transferred files.
Log into your root account and Launch Terminal. You will use the scp (secure copy) command to copy your files over to the new userfolder, replacing PathToNewFolder with the path to your new folder:
cd /PathToNewFolder
scp -r /private/var/root/* .
The copied files will all have ownership of root account, so you will then set ownership of all the files to your new username that you remember from above, replacing "NewName" with your new username:
$USER=NewName
find . -exec chown $USER:admin {} \;
find . -type d -exec chmod 750 {} \;
find . -type f -exec chmod 640 {} \;
chmod 755 Library
find Library -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
find Library -type f -exec chmod 600 {} \;
chmod 755 Library/Autosave\ Information Library/Application\ Support Library/Keychains Library/Application\ Support/Terminal
chmod 644 Library/Preferences/QuickTime\ Preferences Library/Keychains/* Library/Favorites/* Library/Caches/com.apple.preferencepanes.cache Library/Caches/com.apple.preferencepanes.searchindexcache
chmod 755 Public ~/Sites
chmod 733 Public/Drop\ Box
find Sites -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
find Sites -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;
Then you can login to your new account with all your stuff hopefully intact. If anything doesn't work respond here and it can be fixed. -
How can I determine which account is the root account? After upgrading computer and moving data via time machine, I have two accounts listed as admin, however the new one I created on new computer does not act like root account.
kflau,
As Nerowolfe suggested keep the spare admin account. Test it for functionality occasionally and keep it in reserve. If your main admin should 'break' you may be able to use the reserve to fix it, or do some other admin task. You should also use a non admin as your day to day browser login. You can switch stuff about using the "Shared" user.
Root is a an admin but more than, and it is best kept in the cupboard. I do on rare occasions see apps telling me when in an admin,'You don't have enough privileges to do "X" and have resorted to root, but that is rare and probably idiosyncratic to the procedure concerned.
Try this; open the Utility app, 'Directory Utility". Click on the lock and enter an admin name and password. Put your mouse on 'Edit" tab and look at the drop down. If it says , 'enable root', then root is disabled. If it says 'disable root' then root is currently enabled. To enable root you enter a password for it. You can give root a password (and any other user for that matter) by booting from the install disk, navigating to the utilities menu (choose a language click to install but don't go the full distance) For most users assign PWs in the user pane in Sys Prefs and for root , in said app Directory utility.
There have been cases reported here where root , and maybe other users have been effectively lost that's once in a blue moon. -
Home folder name change, cannot see enable the root user option
Hi I am using Mac OS X (10.6.8)..got it from others.. I would like to change the home (small home symbol in finder) folder name. Went through many discussion in apple support. My problem is, I am unable to enable the root user. I went through the following steps: Apple menu -System Preferences- Accounts- authenticated as an administrator account- Login Options- Join- Open Directory Utility- Directory Utility window- administrator account name and password, then clicked OK. After this I can not see option with name Enable root user ( I can see only Active directory, BSD flat file and NIS, LDAPv3, Local). If I click active directory then the edit section will be activated. If I click edit, its showing active directory domain). I can not understand this.
Can anybody help me out please..
Thank you in advanceHere are the instructions from Apple on changing user short name or home directory name. I've used this on a couple of used MacBooks I've bought on eBay. And remember to go into System Preferences>Sharing and change the Computer Name in there.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1428 -
HT1338 i cant enable the imessage account on my mac
i cant enable the imessage account on my mac
HI,
The Console App in Applications/Utilities lists the actions the computer has been doing.
It has Diagnostic and Usage Information.
When I launch my Messager App it leaves an item which can be expanded into this
I.e. it is one original Line and the expansion lists the various settings.
Sometimes you get error related information that can point out where it is having problems.
Messages is supported by an app called IMAgent, which itself is part of a framework item on the System side of things.
A Guest Mac User account does not always have the same access as a regular User Account.
It will not tell us as much.
8:32 PM Friday; November 23, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
Mac OS X (10.6.8),
Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images." No, Seriously -
When trying to enable the root user I was told to open NetInfo Manager and click on Security and then some other stages, but there is nothing in the scroll down list called Security, and I am absolutely sure of it, so I cannot complete the process.
Is there any reason for this, or better - a way of replacing it again?
Kind regardsLouise Bradley,
the "Security"-menu is the third from the right. If it is not there, then you are probably not in NetInfo Manager.
If this answered your question please consider granting some stars: Why reward points? -
my log in window shows btoh my user account and the system administrator (root) acount. how do i not show the system accout on the log in window?
I think you need to disable the root user assuming you have it enabled.
Navigate thus;
/Applications/Utilities/Directory Utility
...and then.....
Edit>Disable Root User -
How do I enable the administrator account for FTP use.
I utilized an FTP enabler software to enable FTP on my Mac. And I can FTP into the subaccounts on my Mac but I can not do so with the Main administrator account (mine). So I went into terminal to test the Main Administrator, I get the following message. I'm lost as to what to do to enable FTP with the Administrator account.
Name (192.168.1.9:Administrator): Administrator
331 User Administrator accepted, provide password.
Password:
530 User Administrator may not use FTP.
ftp: Login failed
What I'm trying to do is to be able to scan documents from my Xerox Printer to all the Macs in our home. I have set up my wife's and daughter's Macs to allow for scanning documents to their accounts on their Macs. They each are sub accounts as I am the Administrator for their Macs. Additionallly, I created a subaccount on my Mac and I'm able to scan to it as well. But when I try to scan to my Administrator account, it won't work.
Any help would be appreciated. I'm using Mountain Lion on all 3 Macs with the latest version. I enabled FTP on all 3 Macs.Thanks for your suggestions but it was more complicated than what you suggested. I was finally able to find a guy at xerox that was able to resolve the issue. I believe it involved changing some settings deep inside the bowels of the programming code much like the old days of using MS DOS to change internal settings on a PC. I watched him do it on my screen and it involved deleting the administrator account from being locked down within the O/S.
Regardless, thanks for the suggestion. -
ORA-12154 as oracle user, whit the root account it works fine
Hello there,
I've a problem with a client installation if I try to connect to the database. I've the following configuration:
1. Database: Running on a Ubuntu Jeos VM, Oracle 11g (Release 11.1.0.6.0 64 bit)
2. Client: Running on a CentOS 5.2 VM, Oracle Client 10g Linux 32bit
I've configured the tnsnames.ora and stored it in the $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin directory. The content of the tnsnames.ora file is the following:
ORCL64=(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS_LIST=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=192.168.12.128)(PORT=1521)))(CONNECT_DATA=(SID=orcl)))
If I try to connect to the database as the oracle user with the following command sqlplus SYS@ORCL64 AS SYSDBA, I'll get the ORA-12154 TNS:could not resolve the connect identifier specified error message. If I try the same as the root user it works fine and I can establish the connection. The same result I've got if I try the command tnsping ORCL64. As the root user the tnsnames adapter can resolve the alias, as the oracle user this is'nt possible and I'll get the error message: TNS-03505: Failed to resolve name. In both he uses the paramter file /u01/app/oracle/network/admin/sqlnet.ora. The content of the sqlnet.ora file is the following:
NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH= (TNSNAMES, EZCONNECT).
Have you any suggestions how can I resolve this problem to get a connection with the oracle user.
Thank you in advance
SvenHello,
thanks for your answers. On the CentOS maschine, where the client is installed, there are no directory's $ORACLE_HOME/bin/oracle and $ORACLE_HOME/bin/lsnrctl. The output from the $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/*ora is:
-rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 171 28. Apr 21:25 /u01/app/oracle/network/admin/sqlnet.ora
wx---- 1 root root 118 5. Mai 11:33 /u01/app/oracle/network/admin/tnsnames.ora
The post-install script $ORACLE_HOME/root.sh I've started.
On the Ubuntu Jeos VM, where the database is installed, the output from the 3 directories are:
ls -l $ORACLE_HOME/bin/oracle
-rwsr-s--x 1 oracle oinstall 188459338 2009-02-23 09:21 /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/bin/oracle
ls -l $ORACLE_HOME/bin/lsnrctl
-rwxr-x--x 1 oracle oinstall 143599 2009-02-23 09:48 /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/bin/lsnrctl
ls -l $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/*ora
-rw-rw-r-- 1 oracle oinstall 542 2009-03-25 19:08 /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/network/admin/listener.ora
-rw-rw-r-- 1 oracle oinstall 191 2009-02-23 09:57 /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/network/admin/sqlnet.ora
-rw-rw-r-- 1 oracle oinstall 324 2009-03-25 19:12 /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/network/admin/tnsnames.ora
Kind regards
Sven -
I've configured both the base and the alias as separate "accounts" in Outlook 2010. If I set the base as the default, I get all my messages (alias and base) in the base Inbox. If I set the alias as the default, I get every message twice, once in the alias Inbox and again in the base Inbox.
Surely there's a way to get only alias messages in the alias Inbox and base messages in the base Inbox?No.
Homesharing is streaming only. -
How to run the iOS simulator from the root account?
sh-3.2# /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/MacOS/Xcode
com.apple.dt.instruments.backgroundinstruments: Already loaded
2012-05-20 21:57:32.871 Xcode[2538:107] ERROR: Failed to create an alert for ID "enabled" based on defaults: 1
2012-05-20 21:57:34.277 Xcode[2538:107] Error launching simulated application: Error Domain=DTiPhoneSimulatorErrorDomain Code=1 "iOS Simulator failed to install application." UserInfo=0x400e8b820 {NSLocalizedDescription=iOS Simulator failed to install application., DTiPhoneSimulatorUnderlyingErrorCodeKey=-1}
localhost:MacOS root# cd "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.platform/ Developer/Applications/iPhone Simulator.app/Contents/MacOS"
localhost:MacOS root# ./iPhone\ Simulator
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.accountsd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.AddressBook: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.appsupport.cplogd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.apsd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.aps.tcpdump.en0: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.aps.tcpdump.pdp_ip0: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.assetsd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.AXInspector: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.BTServer: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.calaccessd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.certui.relay: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.dataaccess.dataaccessd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.gamed: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.geod: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.gmmd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.imtranscoderagent.plist: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.imtransferagent: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.itunescloudd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.itunesstored: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.librariand: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.locationd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.lsd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.managedconfiguration.mdmd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.managedconfiguration.profiled: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.marcoagent: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mdt: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mediaremoted: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mediastream.mstreamd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.midiserver.sim: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mobile.installd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mobile.profile_janitor: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mobileassetd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.printd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.search.appindexer: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.searchd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.securityd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.syncdefaultsd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.twitter: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.ubd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.UIKit.pasteboardd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.vibrationmanagerd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.webinspectord: Invalid argument
2012-05-20 22:10:44.477 SimulatorBridge[2603:fb03] CLSimulation: Couldn't clear simulated locations!
2012-05-20 22:10:44.479 SimulatorBridge[2603:fb03] CLSimulation: Couldn't append simulated locations!
2012-05-20 22:10:44.480 SimulatorBridge[2603:fb03] CLSimulation: Couldn't start location simulation!
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.accountsd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.AddressBook: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.appsupport.cplogd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.apsd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.aps.tcpdump.en0: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.aps.tcpdump.pdp_ip0: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.assetsd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.AXInspector: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.BTServer: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.calaccessd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.certui.relay: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.dataaccess.dataaccessd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.gamed: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.geod: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.gmmd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.imtranscoderagent.plist: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.imtransferagent: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.itunescloudd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.itunesstored: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.librariand: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.locationd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.lsd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.managedconfiguration.mdmd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.managedconfiguration.profiled: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.marcoagent: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mdt: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mediaremoted: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mediastream.mstreamd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.midiserver.sim: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mobile.installd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mobile.profile_janitor: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.mobileassetd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.printd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.search.appindexer: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.searchd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.securityd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.syncdefaultsd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.twitter: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.ubd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.UIKit.pasteboardd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.vibrationmanagerd: Invalid argument
com.apple.iPhoneSimulator:com.apple.webinspectord: Invalid argument
2012-05-20 22:10:53.149 SimulatorBridge[2603:fb03] CLSimulation: Couldn't clear simulated locations!
2012-05-20 22:10:53.150 SimulatorBridge[2603:fb03] CLSimulation: Couldn't append simulated locations!
2012-05-20 22:10:53.150 SimulatorBridge[2603:fb03] CLSimulation: Couldn't start location simulation!Why? It's neither necessary nor recommended.
-
Now that Directory Utility seems to have disappeared, does anybody know how to enable the root account/change root admin password?
Yeah, I suppose using terminal is also an option. But I'm really much more of a GUI guy, it's what I grew up using, and what I'm most comfortable with, so if I can find ways of doing things without having to use terminal, that's usually the way I go. And besides, why have a mac with such a beautiful GUI if you're not going to use it? Haha.
I need to enable the root account as the only way my school has found to successfully install machine certificates to get our 802.x WEP wireless to work involves changing settings using the root account. Again, I'm sure there's probably a way of getting it to work using CLI and sudo, but just makes more sense for me this way. -
cannot enable root account using the procedure in this link
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14281
I get to step 5 and don't see the option to enable the root account.You can do almost everything "root" can do with "sudo" and an administrative account. Keeping an open and "always god-mode" account around is hazardous.
Why is "root" necessary? -
How can I change JUST the root password, not my user's passwords?
I'd like to have access to this machine remotely and be able to drop files onto it's multiple users' desktops from anywhere on our network.
I can do this with a root login. I have enabled root, but I am unable to log in using the "Connect to Server" utility using my root credentials.
Is there a way for me to set up my root account so that I can log in remotely using a unique password? Not the password of the account I used to enable root?
Thanks
-----------SYou could do this without enabling the root account, via ssh and an ssh-keygen key properly setup.
Then you can use
scp file [file ...] [email protected]:/User/username/Desktop/
This is without enabling the root account, but rather having your account's ssh-keygen generated public key stored in the remote.system.address's /private/var/root/.ssh/authorized_keys file.
Or if you prefer you could sftp (but I find scp much more flexible).
rsync is also available to transfer files via ssh connections.
However, ssh, scp, sftp, rsync are best discussed in the Mac OS X Technologies > Unix Forum
<http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=735>
Message was edited by: BobHarris
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