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Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks"

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  Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" peter@pfjames.co.uk (Peter James) - 2014-02-04 08:30 +0000
    Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" Sandman <mr@sandman.net> - 2014-02-04 09:33 +0000
      Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" pfj@doesn't.exist.com (Peter James) - 2014-02-04 10:42 +0000
      Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" pfj@doesn't.exist.com (Peter James) - 2014-02-04 11:12 +0000
        Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" Sandman <mr@sandman.net> - 2014-02-04 11:36 +0000
        Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" Doug Anderson <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> - 2014-02-04 07:09 -0800
        Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2014-02-04 15:18 +0000
          Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" pfj@doesn't.exist.com (Peter James) - 2014-02-04 19:25 +0000
            Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" Alan Baker <alangbaker@telus.net> - 2014-02-06 12:25 -0800
    Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2014-02-04 14:52 +0000
    Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2014-02-04 13:08 -0500
    Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" me@home.spamsucks.ca (Kiraly) - 2014-02-04 23:40 +0000
      Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" peter@pfjames.co.uk (Peter James) - 2014-02-05 11:03 +0000
        Re: Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks" Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2014-02-05 13:36 +0000

#55837 — Setting up "root" user in OS X "Mavericks"

I need to enable the root user in Mavericks v 10.9.1 so I can access my
Crash, Console, and System Logs.

Using the support document from Apple at :

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11331

I can get as far as step number 6 which
specifies to choose Edit>Enable Root user etc

I can't find the Edit button there, and I can't proceed any further.

I have used Google to try and find instructions specific to Mavericks,
but without success.

Can anyone help?

Peter

-
The e-mail address obviously doesn't exist.  If it's essential
that you contact me then try peterATpfjamesDOTcoDOTuk

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#55840

In article <1lgj9ve.j894gc1to0570N%peter@pfjames.co.uk>, Peter James <peter@pfjames.co.uk> wrote:

> I need to enable the root user in Mavericks v 10.9.1 so I can access my
> Crash, Console, and System Logs.

No you don't.

/var/log/system.log is readable by the admin group, which I assume you're 
in, so you can read it whenever. Same with /System/Logs/CrashReporter

Using the Console application, /Applications/Utilities/Console, you can 
read just about any log file on the system.

Anything you actually need root privileges for can be accessed with the 
sudo command, like "sudo cat logfile.txt" or even "sudo -s" which will 
start a root shell under your current user.

There is no need for you to enable the root user.



-- 
Sandman[.net]

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#55841

Sandman <mr@sandman.net> wrote:

> In article <1lgj9ve.j894gc1to0570N%peter@pfjames.co.uk>, 
>Peter James <peter@pfjames.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> > I need to enable the root user in Mavericks v 10.9.1 so I can access my
> > Crash, Console, and System Logs.
> 
> No you don't.
> 
> /var/log/system.log is readable by the admin group, which I assume you're
> in, so you can read it whenever. Same with /System/Logs/CrashReporter
> 
> Using the Console application, /Applications/Utilities/Console, you can
> read just about any log file on the system.
> 
> Anything you actually need root privileges for can be accessed with the
> sudo command, like "sudo cat logfile.txt" or even "sudo -s" which will
> start a root shell under your current user.
> 
> There is no need for you to enable the root user.

OK, thanks.

Peter
-- 
-
The e-mail address obviously doesn't exist.  If it's essential
that you contact me then try peterATpfjamesDOTcoDOTuk

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#55842

Sandman <mr@sandman.net> wrote:

> In article <1lgj9ve.j894gc1to0570N%peter@pfjames.co.uk>, 
>Peter James <peter@pfjames.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> > I need to enable the root user in Mavericks v 10.9.1 so I can access my
> > Crash, Console, and System Logs.
> 
> No you don't.
> 
> /var/log/system.log is readable by the admin group, which I assume you're
> in, so you can read it whenever. Same with /System/Logs/CrashReporter
> 
> Using the Console application, /Applications/Utilities/Console, you can
> read just about any log file on the system.
> 
> Anything you actually need root privileges for can be accessed with the
> sudo command, like "sudo cat logfile.txt" or even "sudo -s" which will
> start a root shell under your current user.
> 
> There is no need for you to enable the root user.
OK I can access the log files and crash reporter via Console.  Thank
you.  
However, I can't utilise "sudo" as neither my admin password or user
password are accepted.
Can you tell me the way around this?
Thanks,

Peter

-- 
-
The e-mail address obviously doesn't exist.  If it's essential
that you contact me then try peterATpfjamesDOTcoDOTuk

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#55843

In article <1lgjj1c.1tqjewa1oqf9vkN%pfj@doesn't.exist.com>, Peter James <pfj@doesn't.exist.com> wrote:

>> > I need to enable the root user in Mavericks v 10.9.1 so I can access my
>> > Crash, Console, and System Logs.
>>
>> No you don't.
>>
>> /var/log/system.log is readable by the admin group, which I assume you're
>> in, so you can read it whenever. Same with /System/Logs/CrashReporter
>>
>> Using the Console application, /Applications/Utilities/Console, you can
>> read just about any log file on the system.
>>
>> Anything you actually need root privileges for can be accessed with the
>> sudo command, like "sudo cat logfile.txt" or even "sudo -s" which will
>> start a root shell under your current user.
>>
>> There is no need for you to enable the root user.
>
> OK I can access the log files and crash reporter via Console.  Thank you. 
> However, I can't utilise "sudo" as neither my admin password or user 
> password are accepted.

That's weird, if you're an admin on the machine, and thus in the admin 
group, then this should be no problem at all. "sudo -s" should ask for you 
password, and when given should give you a root shell.

/etc/sudoers is the file where all users that can use sudo is listed, but 
you need to actually be root to see the contents of that file. And it lists 
the admin group as such:

	%admin	ALL=(ALL) ALL

So if you're in the admin group and still can't use sudo, then I'm going to 
assume that this has been altered some way, which seems unlikely, but I 
don't know the history of your Mac, so... :)


-- 
Sandman[.net]

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#55852

pfj@doesn't.exist.com (Peter James) writes:

> Sandman <mr@sandman.net> wrote:
> 
> > In article <1lgj9ve.j894gc1to0570N%peter@pfjames.co.uk>, 
> >Peter James <peter@pfjames.co.uk> wrote:
> > 
> > > I need to enable the root user in Mavericks v 10.9.1 so I can access my
> > > Crash, Console, and System Logs.
> > 
> > No you don't.
> > 
> > /var/log/system.log is readable by the admin group, which I assume you're
> > in, so you can read it whenever. Same with /System/Logs/CrashReporter
> > 
> > Using the Console application, /Applications/Utilities/Console, you can
> > read just about any log file on the system.
> > 
> > Anything you actually need root privileges for can be accessed with the
> > sudo command, like "sudo cat logfile.txt" or even "sudo -s" which will
> > start a root shell under your current user.
> > 
> > There is no need for you to enable the root user.
> OK I can access the log files and crash reporter via Console.  Thank
> you.  
> However, I can't utilise "sudo" as neither my admin password or user
> password are accepted.
> Can you tell me the way around this?


You need to be logged in already as an admin user.

Then you'll use the password for that (admin) user to use sudo.

If you want you can even get essentially a root shell via

sudo bash

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#55853

On 2014-02-04, Peter James <pfj@doesn't.exist.com> wrote:
>
> I can't utilise "sudo" as neither my admin password or user password
> are accepted.  Can you tell me the way around this?

Make sure you didn't introduce a typo when you supplied the credentials
to sudo.

You need to be logged into an admin account to use sudo. 

If you are currently logged into a non-admin account, simply use the su
command to switch to the admin user, like this:

su adminusername

Supply the admin credentials when prompted. Once you are logged into the
admin account, you can use sudo as you wish, supplying the admin
credentials again when prompted.

If you are logged into the admin account and sudo is still not working,
then issue this command and paste the output into a reply here so we can
help you diagnose the problem:

id

-- 
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

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#55880

Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:

> On 2014-02-04, Peter James <pfj@doesn't.exist.com> wrote:
> >
> > I can't utilise "sudo" as neither my admin password or user password
> > are accepted.  Can you tell me the way around this?
> 
> Make sure you didn't introduce a typo when you supplied the credentials
> to sudo.
> 
> You need to be logged into an admin account to use sudo. 
> 
> If you are currently logged into a non-admin account, simply use the su
> command to switch to the admin user, like this:
> 
> su adminusername
Many thanks, that did it.
> 
> Supply the admin credentials when prompted. Once you are logged into the
> admin account, you can use sudo as you wish, supplying the admin
> credentials again when prompted.
> 
> If you are logged into the admin account and sudo is still not working,
> then issue this command and paste the output into a reply here so we can
> help you diagnose the problem:
> 
> id
Thank you for the advise and help.

Peter


-- 
-
The e-mail address obviously doesn't exist.  If it's essential
that you contact me then try peterATpfjamesDOTcoDOTuk

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#56148

On 2014-02-04 19:25:26 +0000, Peter James said:

> Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
> 
>> On 2014-02-04, Peter James <pfj@doesn't.exist.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> I can't utilise "sudo" as neither my admin password or user password
>>> are accepted.  Can you tell me the way around this?
>> 
>> Make sure you didn't introduce a typo when you supplied the credentials
>> to sudo.
>> 
>> You need to be logged into an admin account to use sudo.
>> 
>> If you are currently logged into a non-admin account, simply use the su
>> command to switch to the admin user, like this:
>> 
>> su adminusername
> Many thanks, that did it.

As a follow-up for anyone who's reading this, your setup is actually a 
very good way to work.

Have an account with administrator privileges, but actually use your 
Mac day-to-day with a standard account. Any time you need administrator 
privileges in the GUI, you'll be prompted for an admin account's 
credentials, and at the command line, you can "su <adminuser>" then use 
"sudo" for anything that requires administrator privileges.

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#55847

In message <1lgj9ve.j894gc1to0570N%peter@pfjames.co.uk> 
  Peter James <peter@pfjames.co.uk> wrote:
> I need to enable the root user in Mavericks v 10.9.1 so I can access my
> Crash, Console, and System Logs.

No you don't.

> Using the support document from Apple at :

> http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11331

> I can get as far as step number 6 which
> specifies to choose Edit>Enable Root user etc

> I can't find the Edit button there, and I can't proceed any further.

Old TN.

> I have used Google to try and find instructions specific to Mavericks,
> but without success.

> Can anyone help?

Sure, don't do that.

-- 
Behind every great man there's a woman with a vibrator -- Hawkeye Pierce

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#55865

In article <1lgj9ve.j894gc1to0570N%peter@pfjames.co.uk>,
 peter@pfjames.co.uk (Peter James) wrote:

> I need to enable the root user in Mavericks v 10.9.1 so I can access my
> Crash, Console, and System Logs.
> 
> Using the support document from Apple at :
> 
> http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11331
> 
> I can get as far as step number 6 which
> specifies to choose Edit>Enable Root user etc
> 
> I can't find the Edit button there, and I can't proceed any further.
> 
> I have used Google to try and find instructions specific to Mavericks,
> but without success.
> 
> Can anyone help?
> 
> Peter
> 
> -
> The e-mail address obviously doesn't exist.  If it's essential
> that you contact me then try peterATpfjamesDOTcoDOTuk

You can log in as root anytime from a terminal:

[~]% sudo su
Password:
sh-3.2# whoami
root
sh-3.2# exit
exit
[~]%

Be careful.
-- 
Where's the Vangelis music?
Pris' tongue is sticking out in in the wide shot after Batty has kissed her.
They have put back more tits into the Zhora dressing  room scene.
  -- notes for Blade Runner

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#55914

Peter James <peter@pfjames.co.uk> wrote:
> I need to enable the root user in Mavericks v 10.9.1 so I can access my
> Crash, Console, and System Logs.

Hi Peter
You already found out you don't need to enable root.
My favourite way to read those logs from a non-admin account is to 
launch Console.app as root. That way you neither need to switch user 
accounts nor use Terminal. 

You can do that with this applescript:

do shell script 
"/Applications/Utilities/Console.app/Contents/MacOS/Console > /dev/null 
2>&1 &" with administrator privileges

Paste the above into Applescript Editor, compile and save. You can then 
just run the script; you will be asked to supply an admin 
username/password, and then Console will launch and run as root.

-- 
K.

Lang may your lum reek.

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#55952

Kiraly <me@home.spamsucks.ca> wrote:

> do shell script 
> "/Applications/Utilities/Console.app/Contents/MacOS/Console > /dev/null
> 2>&1 &" with administrator privileges
That would be very useful, but it won't compile.  Editor reports
"syntax" error.

Peter

-- 
-
The e-mail address obviously doesn't exist.  If it's essential
that you contact me then try peterATpfjamesDOTcoDOTuk

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#55956

In message <1lgl6of.1kyrwmh1cfdsd6N%peter@pfjames.co.uk> 
  Peter James <peter@pfjames.co.uk> wrote:
> Kiraly <me@home.spamsucks.ca> wrote:

>> do shell script 
>> "/Applications/Utilities/Console.app/Contents/MacOS/Console > /dev/null
>> 2>&1 &" with administrator privileges
> That would be very useful, but it won't compile.  Editor reports
> "syntax" error.

It's all one line.

<https://www.dropbox.com/s/45kbll91lqs9jm5/Screenshot%202014-02-05%2006.36.33.PNG>

-- 
This wasn't a proper land. The sky was blue, not flaming with all the
colours of the aurora. And time was passing. To a creature not born
subject to time, it was a sensation not unakin to falling. --Lords and
Ladies

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