Run as Root

[Curtis Seyfried]

Thank you all for your answers. I did sudo and established a root
password, but I can not login from the login screen as root?

What I am really trying to do is to create subdirectories in /opt then
to copy tar files into it and extract and install the apps in /opt

The various file managers refuse to do so because I do not have
premission.

BUT, they do NOT prompt me for su password ?

I am used to logging on as root when I want to do such stuff, doing all
of what I need to do, setting premissions for the apps so I can use them
from my userid, then logging off and re-logging on as my userid.

When I use Linux RH9 I can just run as the administrator. It is my
machine, I should be able to do what I want how I want. I know the
security risks and have used PC's long enough to be able to deal with
them. MS Windows allows an administrator to run as a user.

Why does it always have to be so difficult to just run your own
freestanding machine ?

I mean I have virus protection, firewall, intrusion detection, and it is
my box?

Curtis Seyfried