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Enabling Root in Big Sur

To enable Root in Big Sur, Step 7: There is no "Edit" choice in the menu bar. Instead it says "Directory Editor". Director Editor does not have an "Enable Root User". How do you do it?

Posted on Jan 21, 2021 9:37 PM

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Posted on Jan 22, 2021 5:19 AM

It is there for me in Directory Utility. Maybe if you somehow found a "Directory Editor," it doesn't have an edit menu, but then that would be odd because it is one of the standard menus every app should have.


Why do you need to enable the root user. It is almost powerless in Big Sur, and you should be able to authenticate anything that would require root.

If you are trying to install software that tells you that you must install as root, you should get away from that software as fast as possible as the developer's are idiots.

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Jan 22, 2021 5:19 AM in response to AmbroseFromGA

It is there for me in Directory Utility. Maybe if you somehow found a "Directory Editor," it doesn't have an edit menu, but then that would be odd because it is one of the standard menus every app should have.


Why do you need to enable the root user. It is almost powerless in Big Sur, and you should be able to authenticate anything that would require root.

If you are trying to install software that tells you that you must install as root, you should get away from that software as fast as possible as the developer's are idiots.

Jan 22, 2021 8:24 PM in response to Barney-15E

Yes, I am Administrator. What I see on the "User & Groups" menu is "Network Account Server Join". So I click on Join. I then click on "Open Directory Utility". I then authenticate on the padlock. I then click on Directory Editor. Should I be changing "CVMS Root" > "User Shell" "/usr/bin/false" to "/usr/bin/true"? to acquire Root capability (I am NOT UNIX knowledgeable!)? Is that all I need to do (lest I foul something up)? If so, I presume I set "true" back to "false" as soon as I am finished for security.

Jan 22, 2021 8:50 PM in response to AmbroseFromGA

If sudo didn't work for you, something is wrong. You don't need to enable the root user for any reason whatsoever.


You don't need to go anywhere in Directory Utility. Unlock the padlock and choose "Enable Root User" from the Edit menu.


Before you enable the root user, try this.

In Terminal enter,

sudo su

enter your password when requested and hit return.

You will see this prompt:

sh-3.2# 

You now have "root privileges."


Enter the tmutil command without using sudo.

tmutil setdestination smb://guest:guest@NAS_IPADDRESS/TimeMachineBackup

Enabling Root in Big Sur

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