Setting up a root account and password is one of the most important
steps during your installation. Your root account is similar to the
administrator account used on Windows NT machines. The root account
is used to install packages, upgrade RPMs and perform most system
maintenance. Logging in as root gives you complete control over your
system.
Use the root account only for system administration. Create a non-root
account for your general use and su - to root when
you need to fix something quickly. These basic rules will minimize the
chances of a typo or an incorrect command doing damage to your system.
The installation program will prompt you to set a root
password[1]
for your system. You must enter a root password. The installation
program will not let you proceed to the next section without entering
a root password.
The root password must be at least six characters long; the password
you type is not echoed to the screen. You must enter the password
twice; if the two passwords do not match, the installation program
will ask you to enter them again.
You should make the root password something you can remember, but not
something that is easy for someone else to guess. Your name, your
phone number, qwerty, password,
root, 123456, and
anteater are all examples of bad passwords.
Good passwords mix numerals with upper and lower case letters and do
not contain dictionary words: Aard387vark or
420BMttNT, for example. Remember that the
password is case-sensitive. If you write down your password, keep it
in a secure place. However, it is recommended that you do not write
down this or any password you create.
 | Note |
|---|
| | Do not use one of the example passwords offered in this
manual. Using one of these passwords could be considered a security
risk.
|
| Note |
|---|
| | The root user (also known as the superuser) has complete access to
the entire system; for this reason, logging in as the root user is
best done only to perform system maintenance or
administration.
|
If you choose to create a user account now, you will have an account
to log in to once the installation has completed. This allows you to
safely and easily log into your computer without having to be
root to create your user account.
Enter an account name. Then enter and confirm a password for that user
account. Enter the full name of the account user and press
Add. Your account information will be added to
the account list, and the user account fields will be cleared so that
you can add another user.
You can also choose New to add a new
user. Enter the user's information and use the
Add button to add the user to the account list.
You can also Edit or
Delete the user accounts you have created and
no longer want.
