Red Hat LINUX 7.1 - ISERIES Manual page 43

Section 3.17:Account Configuration 43
Figure 3–17 Root Password
Setting up a root account and password is one of the most important steps during your installation.
Your root account is similar to the administrator account used on Windows NT machines. The root
account is used to install packages, upgrade RPMs and perform most system maintenance. Logging
in as root gives you complete control over your system.
Use the root account only for system administration. Create a non-root account for your general use
and su - to root when you need to fix something quickly. These basic rules will minimize the chances
of a typo or an incorrect command doing damage to your system.
1
The installation program will prompt you to set a root password for your system. You must enter a
root password. The installation program will not let you proceed to the next section without entering
a root password.
The root password must be at least six characters long; the password you type is not echoed to the
screen. You must enter the password twice; if the two passwords do not match, the installation program
will ask you to enter them again.
1 A root password is the administrative password for your Red Hat Linux system. You should only log in as root
when needed for system maintenance. The root account does not operate within the restrictions placed on normal
user accounts, so changes made as root can have implications for your entire system.