Authentication failure??

[Sean Carolan]

> When I try to use my password with su in the terminal
> I get an authentication error. This is the same
> password I log in with when I start the computer, I've
> always used the same password...
> What's my problem?

Ubuntu's root user has no password by default.  This is a good 
thing(tm), IMHO.  Here's how you can become root on an Ubuntu system:

$ sudo /bin/su - root

Enter your normal user password and you'll have a root shell.