Root Login Howto enable it in your favorite distro

Linux Tips :Howto enable root login in GUI login screen in popular Linux Distros.

It has been a trend among Linux Distros in recent times to disallow root users to login using the GUI login screen. It is said that they are doing this on security reasons. But many of us especially distro-maniacs like to avail this facility to meddle with their pet distros' interiors.. Here are some tips to enable this feature in most popular distros which do not allow it by default.

Debian Lenny and Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope:

Enabling root-login in the above distros is very easy. Just go to
System ------> Administration -------> Login Window
This can be done by a user with sudo privileges. You will be asked to provide your or root password here.
In the Login Window Preferences screen select Security tab.
Enable the check-box “Allow Local System Administrator Login” under Security section.
Close the window. Logout and you can re-login as root from the login window.

Fedora 10 and 11 with GNOME desktop:

In the case of Fedora 10 you have to edit a configuration file for gdm as super user.
Using your favorite text editor open /etc/pam.d/gdm
Just comment out the line auth required pam_succeed_if.so user !=root quiet
by putting a # in the beginning. Or alternatively you can just remove that entry. Save the file. Logout. You can now login as root from the login screen.
The file to be edited in the case of Fedora 11 is /etc/pam.d/gdm-password and follow the step applicable to Fedora 10.

PCBSD with KDE 4:

In this case you have to edit kdmrc file of the kdm. As super user open the file /PCBSD/local/kde4/share/config/kdm/kdmrc
Find the line AllowRootLogin=false. This is a large file you have to use “find” command of your text editor to locate it easily.
Change line to AllowRootLogin=true. Save and quit. Thats it you are done.

Mandriva 2009.1 with KDE 4:

In the case of Mandriva the kdmrc file is located in a remote location.
As a super user open the file /var/lib/mandriva/kde4-profiles/common/share/config/kdm/kdmrc in a text editor

Find the line AllowRootLogin=false. This is a large file you have to use “find” command of your text editor.
Change line to AllowRootLogin=true. Save the file and quit.

Open Suse 11.1and Slackware 12.2 allow root login by default. Please note that running GUI applications as root and playing with configuration files are risky if your system is having critical data. So be cautious.

Ashraf Ali
sharali@gmail.com