# No password required for SU?



## lfloyd (Feb 21, 2011)

I just installed FreeBSD 8.1.  Currently I have only two accounts established: root and one user in group wheel.  When that user does a su, it immediately logs in that user as root, with no query for a password.  Is this by design?  Is there a way to disable this?

Thanks!

- Larry


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## phoenix (Feb 21, 2011)

Set a password on the root account?


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## rambetter (Feb 21, 2011)

No it's not by design and I've never experienced the behavior you're describing.
In fact I don't know off the top of my head what would cause this behavior.
Does the root account have a password set?  try "passwd" while you're root to set a password.  I'm not sure that that will fix your problem though.


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## lfloyd (Feb 21, 2011)

Holy crap! During the installation, sysinstall asked for root password, but it appears to not have taken!  I logged in, did an su, tried "passwd" and it asked for a new password (but not a previous password).  Sure enough, when I tried to su it asked for a password.  How scary... how could this have happened?

Thanks!


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## Sebulon (Feb 21, 2011)

It behaves that way if you choose Express installation. It installs what you ask but skips config network or any services, and leaves that up to you to do afterwards.
ThatÂ´s the only scenario I know of when you end up without a root password, and have to do that manually later.

/Sebulon


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## DutchDaemon (Feb 21, 2011)

And the passwd(1) program never asks for the old password when you're root. There wouldn't be much point in it, really..


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