Unlike in Windows XP, in order to perform actions that may affect your computer (such as installing software), users have to enter passwords in *nix systems (Linux, BSD, Mac OS X). This gives them some root privileges and is called becoming superuser (abbreviated to su).
1Check with your administrator if you as an ordinary user can become superuser (some admins disable it).
2Try typing a command which needs root access prefixed with sudo (Ubuntu uses this) then your own user password.
3Try typing su but separately rather than as a prefix (MEPIS and Sidux use this) then type the root password.
|Here's how to become a superuser in Ubuntu.|
- The use of sudo may require setting up, so you can specify which commands are allowed to be run as root by which users. Using sudo is usually considered more secure than using su or logging on as root. See the following article (requires basic knowledge of Linux): 
- Activate it and run g.k.s.u. gnome-terminal.
- Enter your password and click OK.
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