[Edgy] Why does the "Users and Group" config utility show a root user?

[Eamonn Sullivan]

On 11/5/06, Mario Vukelic <mario.vukelic at dantian.org> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I did a fresh install of Edgy, using the Alternate Install CD. System >
> Admin > Users and Groups now shows me a root account with an 8-character
> password. Is this normal? The root account is in fact disabled as it
> should:
>
> /etc/passwd: root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
> /etc/shadow: root:!:13456:0:99999:7:::
>

The root account exists in a default install of Ubuntu (as in any
Linux), it's just that you can't log in to account directly. You need
to use sudo. Note the ! character in root's line in /etc/shadow. It
indicates , as far as I know, that the account doesn't have a valid
password. The column changes if you do give root a password with "sudo
passwd."

-Eamonn