In Tails, an administration password (also called root password or amnesia password) is required to perform system administration tasks. For example:
- To install additional software
- To access the internal hard disks of the computer
- To execute commands with sudo
By default, the administration password is disabled for better security. This can prevent an attacker with physical or remote access to your Tails system to gain administration privileges and perform administration tasks against your will.
Set up an administration password
In order to perform administration tasks, you need to set up an administration password when starting Tails, using Tails Greeter.
When Tails Greeter appears, click on the
button.
When the Additional Settings dialog appears, click on Administration Password.
Specify a password of your choice in both the Administration Password and Confirm text boxes then click .
How to open a root terminal
To open a root terminal during your working session, you can do any of the following:
Choose .
Execute sudo -i in a terminal.