The root user, also known as the superuser, is a special user who can operate without restriction on a Freedom server. Only the Freedom 400x and above provide access to the superuser account.
SECURITY ALERT: Improper use of the root account can cause irreparable damage to your Freedom server!
Most administrative tasks can be accomplished through your administrative user account. If you must use the root account, do so with extreme caution, as the extra privileges you acquire when you become root mean that the safeguards of your normal user account no longer apply.
The su command can be used to switch to another user account. If no account name is specified, it allows you to become the superuser. In most cases, you will want to use the -l flag with the su command, so as to inherit the environment settings of that user.
To become the superuser on a Freedom 400x or greater, enter the following command at your command prompt:
> su -l
You’ll then be prompted for the root password. When your account is first set up, the root password is the same as the password for the administrative user. We recommend changing it as soon as possible by becoming the superuser and then typing the following:
> passwd root
To become the superuser, you must be a member of the wheel group. By default, your administrative user account is the only member of this group besides the root user. If for some reason you need to allow another user account to become the superuser, you would need to make them a member of the wheel group by editing the /etc/group file as the superuser.
After using the su command to switch to another user account, you can return to your previous user account by typing exit.