Enable root log in and Login as root user on Linux Fedora

Login as normal user, press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to get the text terminal, then key in your normal user login name and password... remember that you already create these user on early stage the installation configuration process.

Fedora release 10 (Cambridge)

Kernel 2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686 on an i686 (tty2)

fedora10 login: fedora10

Password:

Last login: Fri Dec 5 06:23:09 on tty4

[fedora10@fedora10 ~]$

2. Switch user to root user. In order to execute command or edit configuration file, you may need the root privileges. The example below use the su command to change from normal user to root user in order to have the root privileges to edit the gdm configuration file.

[fedora10@fedora10 ~]$ su -

Password:

[root@fedora10 ~]#

3. The gdm configuration file contain the setting that disable the root login on Fedora 10. To view the contents of gdm configuration file the cat command is use in this example.

[root@fedora10 ~]# cat /etc/pam.d/gdm

#%PAM-1.0

auth [success=done ignore=ignore default=bad] pam_selinux_permit.so

auth required pam_succeed_if.so user != root quiet

auth required pam_env.so

auth substack system-auth

auth optional pam_gnome_keyring.so

account required pam_nologin.so

account include system-auth

password include system-auth

session required pam_selinux.so close

session required pam_loginuid.so

session optional pam_console.so

session required pam_selinux.so open

session optional pam_keyinit.so force revoke

session required pam_namespace.so

session optional pam_gnome_keyring.so auto_start

session include system-auth

[root@fedora10 ~]#

4. Before we edit the gdm configuration file to enable root login to fedora 10, please make backup the gdm configuration file. The example below use the cp command to make gdm backup file.

Copy file to make backup

[root@fedora10 ~]# cp -pr /etc/pam.d/gdm /etc/pam.d/gdm.bak

[root@fedora10 ~]#

Verify backup file exist

[root@fedora10 ~]# ls /etc/pam.d/gdm.bak

/etc/pam.d/gdm.bak

[root@fedora10 ~]#

5. To allow root user to log in on Fedora 10, the "user != root quiet" need to be remove from the gdm configuration file. The step by step below show how to edit the gdm using vi editor, to edit and remove the "user != root quiet" on the file.

Open vi editor : [root@fedora10 ~]# vi /etc/pam.d/gdm

and move the cursur to the user != root quiet (as show on figure below): use the keyboard key h=move cursor left, j=move cursor down, k=move cursor up, l=move cursor right.

To allow root log in on Fedora 10, the (user != root quiet) must be remove from gdm configuration file.

Hit 'x' key on keyboard to delete the user != root quiet .

After deleting the user != root quiet, save the gdm configuration file and the exit the vi text editor by using :wq as show on figure below.

Verify by display the gdm configuration file contents by using cat command as show on example below.

[root@fedora10 ~]# cat /etc/pam.d/gdm

#%PAM-1.0

auth [success=done ignore=ignore default=bad] pam_selinux_permit.so

auth required pam_succeed_if.so

auth required pam_env.so

auth substack system-auth

auth optional pam_gnome_keyring.so

account required pam_nologin.so

account include system-auth

password include system-auth

session required pam_selinux.so close

session required pam_loginuid.so

session optional pam_console.so

session required pam_selinux.so open

session optional pam_keyinit.so force revoke

session required pam_namespace.so

session optional pam_gnome_keyring.so auto_start

session include system-auth

[root@fedora10 ~]#

Now, reboot the system and start login as root user on Fedora