Root user in Activity Monitor

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Level 1

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Root user in Activity Monitor

Hello,

I did not enable the root user, and I checked the Directory Utility, it is not enabled. But when I click on the Activity Monitor, I see processes by me(admin user) and other processes by "root".

Does that mean that someone has remote access to my mac? or it is normal even if root is disabled?

Thank you

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Feb 7, 2011 12:42 AM

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Answer 1

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Topher Kessler

Level 6

9,905 points

Feb 7, 2011 12:47 AM in response to ArabicMac

By "not enabling" the root user you have not enabled anyone to log in as the root account, but this account exists anyway and is active. It is the "system" account by which the system runs global processes, so you will always see processes running under this account in Activity Monitor.

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