What's SU if you never set one?

Trying to install Java and the instructions say to enter a super user password.I have never set an SU password.What do I do?

Mint 10 Julian on an FD.

 

It's just your user password. Also, why aren't you using the package in the repository?

 

I never set a user password.Last time I tried to set a user password I had big problems and was never able to log back in.So I started over with Mint 10.I did finally use the repository after I realized I didn't have to do it the hard way.Noob mistakes are killing me.Every time I update or install a program,I loose all of my fire fox settings,all of my plug ins,all of my themes,and all of my user names and passwords.I'm getting really frustrated with all these unexplainable issues.

 

That's odd...are you sure it's not user error? Also, you did set a user password, it's the one you entered upon installation.

 

Next time run it with sudo or gksudo instead ( gksudo ./javainstaller or whatever). su will fail unless you have explicitly set a root password, the way to get su working is strangely enough, with sudo. So as a normal user, this will bring you to a root shell:

Code:

sudo su

 

Probably and I was never directed,during install, to enter a user password.Still haven't figured out the issue in fire fox.I'm gonna go check settings,again.It will not leave me signed in and will not save passwords or user names.

 

If you have never set one then "sudo -s" should elevate your privileges on your user and keep the elevated access, then you should do "su root" this will switch the current user to root, now you can set a password by typing "passwd"(note all " should not be typed)
now ctrl+d to get out of the root session and ctrl+d again to get back to your normal user level access.

Note: some porgrams still require a root password and user account to install correctly because sudo is not truly a super user.

 

Thanks for that info.I'll give it a try.

 

I haven't been using my puter much.Do I make these changes using terminal?

 

yes, that is what the # and/or $ indicate.

# is a ROOT prompt and $ is a user prompt

 

Ok. Thanks.

 

The program "su" is "Switch User" it allows you to log in as another user (supplied on the command as an argument and default to username "root"). Most of the times users use the command "sudo" which if you are allowed to allows you to run the command (passed as its arguments) as username "root" without having to know the password for root but requires you to verify that you are you by supplying your own password.

The command "sudo" has a configuration file that defined who is allowed, hosts that that user can be on, and what commands are allowed.