# root account

**URL:** <https://forums.suse.com/t/root-account/25109>\
**Category:** SLED Configure-Administer\
**Created:** [February 10, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/root-account/25109 "2014-02-10T15:56:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cmigroup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@cmigroup](https://forums.suse.com/u/cmigroup)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/root-account/25109/1 "2014-02-10T15:56:47Z")

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Hi!!!

How to enable “root” account after a first installation of SLED ?

Thks

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**Author:** ![smflood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forums.suse.com/smflood/32/10576_2.png) [@smflood](https://forums.suse.com/u/smflood)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/root-account/25109/2 "2014-02-10T16:49:25Z")

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On 10/02/2014 14:04, cmigroup wrote:  
[color=blue]

> How to enable “root” account after a first installation of SLED ?[/color]

Unlike some other Linux distributions, the root user is enabled by  
default with SLED so you should be able to log in using the password  
assigned during installation.

Note if you checked “Use this password for system administrator” when  
creating a new user during installation then root should have that  
password assigned or otherwise you would have been prompted during install.

## HTH.

Simon  
SUSE Knowledge Partner

* * *

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cmigroup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@cmigroup](https://forums.suse.com/u/cmigroup)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/root-account/25109/3 "2014-03-11T00:03:45Z")

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hi!!!

I have an other machine and it is impossible to enable root account, below the error message:

sudo: pam\_authenticate: User not known to the authentication module

Thks

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**Author:** ![mikewillis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@mikewillis](https://forums.suse.com/u/mikewillis)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/root-account/25109/4 "2014-03-11T10:51:24Z")

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> [@cmigroup;19803](#):
>
> I have an other machine and it is impossible to enable root account, below the error message:
> 
> sudo: pam\_authenticate: User not known to the authentication module

Did Simon’s previous response help you fix the problem that was the original subject of this thread?

As Simon said, root is enabled by default. I’m not sure exactly what problem you are trying to describe here. Your first sentence talks about it being impossible to enable root, the second sentence is an error message relating to use of the sudo command and I’m not clear on how that relates to the first sentence.

If you have a problem with sudo you cannot fix that unless you have root access. Do you know the root password for this machine?

If for some reason you do not know the root password, there are ways to reset the root password assuming you have physical access to the machine. (I am assuming you are supposed to have root on the machine!)