How to enable root user in Yosemite

Do a backup before doing anything. To delete them you will need to enable the Root User and log in as the Root User. You need to be very careful while logged in as the Root User because you can delete any file and could potentially ruin your system. As soon as the non-functioning applications are deleted, log out and use your normal account. Did I mention doing a backup?

Root User

It's changed from 10.9 and I can't find it.

However root can be enabled from shell:

dsenableroot

dsenableroot -d

Hope this helps.

Just found out; 90% of replies in forums were timewasters ("do a backup", "be careful" "why do you need root").

You need to be logged in as admin, open "Directory Utilities". It's not in Utilities. In 10.10.3 it's an app hidden in System / Library / CoreServices / Applications.Then:

Make sure the padlock sign bottom left is open, tab Services, Menu Edit and ask for enable root

I won't say be careful because if you want root why should I bother.

Ha! Seriously...most of the time if someone feels they need root, they have hit some impasse in troubleshooting their system and have arrived at the need for root access. Why everyone acts like it's the end of the world makes no sense. You can lose data doing anything on your computer if you haven't backed up. You can't ruin your system by having root. You may have to reinstall from scratch if you make a mistake. But, it is a normal necessity from time to time while self-managing computers and data over the course of time. It's GOOD to get familiar with your computer and NOT be afraid to problem solve.

I have been searching that Menu "Edit" in "Directory Utilities" and still cannot find. Can you tell more specific.

Cannot find the Edit and Enable Root .... Please help.

squidz wrote:

Ha! Seriously...most of the time if someone feels they need root, they have hit some impasse in troubleshooting their system and have arrived at the need for root access. Why everyone acts like it's the end of the world makes no sense. You can lose data doing anything on your computer if you haven't backed up. You can't ruin your system by having root. You may have to reinstall from scratch if you make a mistake. But, it is a normal necessity from time to time while self-managing computers and data over the course of time. It's GOOD to get familiar with your computer and NOT be afraid to problem solve.

There is really never any need for the root user. Most people that think they need it arrive there by following some stupid advice they found on the web.

Regardless, the instructions in this Apple Article do work: Enabling and using the "root" user in OS X - Apple Support

If there was never a reason, root access would not be possible.

It's in the menu, not the window:

squidz wrote:

If there was never a reason, root access would not be possible.

Except, perhaps, to be Unix compatible.

In my nearly 15 years running OS X, I have never needed to enable it.

Sudo almost always works, and if it doesn't, I can su to root.

If I had managed to hose the system that badly, I'd just boot into single user mode, or reinstall.

This was helpful! I was trying to download Creative Cloud and it seemed that my only option to get it loaded (because all of Adobe's other advice about getting it to load was proving useless) was to either use SUDO (which I'm clueless about using. Sorry, but not all of us on here are superusers) or enabling the Root User. So thank you, aatsi, for adding that ONE thing that was making this seem beyond ridiculously difficult to solve for such a simple and necessary tool for my profession.

So, wanting to rysnc over a folder full of users from one server to another (preserving ownership and permissions) which cannot be done as admin is not a valid reason? I know I could sneak it across using certificates, but honestly, it should be easier to just enable root for root tasks.

I've been living 20+ years in root at the command line. I've made 1 serious mistake with the rm, but I've also executed an uncountable number of other commands without error. 🙂