root user troubles

Comments

• Reply 1 of 4

  ghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member

  February 5, 2003 12:55PM

  You should never have to login as the root user. The only time you should need to execute a command as 'root', you can do from the comfort of your own account by using the 'sudo' command preceding whatever terminal command you wish to execute as root.
  
  
  
  Why exactly do you require root access?
• Reply 2 of 4

  gsfmark Posts: 210member

  February 5, 2003 1:51PM

  there have been a couple times that i tried to do something quite benign, and i wasn't able to, because only root user had priveleges.
  
  
  
  this particular time, i had installed software that added preference panes, and I didn't want them, so i was in my library folder (of my home directory) and i wanted to delete the preference pane file in the preference panes folder.
  
  
  
  i wouldn't even begin to know how to do this from the terminal... i am not very comfortable with the command liney-ness of it....
  
  
  
  is there somewhere i can learn?
  
  
  
  sorry for my ignorance! thanks!
• Reply 3 of 4

  ghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member

  February 5, 2003 6:56PM

  I'm sure that Brad could recommend a good CLI tutorial. Fortunately, and I don't think many people are aware of this, you don't have to go through a command line to actually remove those files. Navigate to the "PreferencePanes" folder that contains the file you want to remove. Now, click once on the file you wish to delete, then Get Info on it. (File: Get Info or Command - I) Click the triangle next to "Ownership & Permissions.
  
  
  
  At the top of this section, you'll see a little lock to the right of where it has the owner. Click on that lock, and change the owner to your account. You will be prompted for your password. Enter your user password. You may now safely delete that file.
  
  
  
  Alternately, and if for some reason that does not work, you can delete it by opening up a Terminal and typing the following. For this you will need the exact name of the file: (e.g.- TurboPrefs.prefPane).
  
  
  
  [quote][code]
  
  sudo rm /System/Library/PreferencePanes/FileName.prefPane</pre><hr></blockquote><hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  In this example, "FileName.prefPane" is the name of the item you have tagged for deletion. You will be given a quick lecture by the system on using sudo and then you will be asked for your password. Give your password, and after a slight pause, it will be gone.
• Reply 4 of 4

  defiant Posts: 4,876member

  February 6, 2003 2:02PM

  there is a easier way to do this what you did, jack. just type [quote] sudo rm <hr></blockquote> into the terminal and drag & drop the file into the terminal window. voilÃ* !