# How to unlock the root account ?



## openbsd98324 (Feb 10, 2022)

Hello,

I would like to have full access to my disk, ... system, in order to do expert operations.

How is it possible to unlock the root, so that root has full power and liberty? (not half power )

Which configuration into /boot/loader... or /etc can be changed to get full root permissions.


On running system (ada0 part mounted), this is for instance locked:

```
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/ada0
```


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## Menelkir (Feb 10, 2022)

I think it's a limitation of dd itself to destroy your main disk, but I'm pretty sure you're able to do that with gpart. Other than that, you have full root permissions as root.


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## openbsd98324 (Feb 10, 2022)

Menelkir said:


> I think it's a limitation of dd itself to destroy your main disk, but I'm pretty sure you're able to do that with gpart. Other than that, you have full root permissions as root.



sure not from dd.


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## xtaz (Feb 10, 2022)

Try running sysctl kern.geom.debugflags=16 and then try again. This is the debug option that allows you to shoot yourself in the foot.


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## grahamperrin@ (Feb 11, 2022)

xtaz said:


> Try running sysctl kern.geom.debugflags=16 and then try again. This is the debug option that allows you to shoot yourself in the foot.



+1

From <https://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/walkthrough.html>: 



> *Note for FreeBSD users:* A limitation of the FreeBSD version of `gdisk` is that it can't ordinarily write to a disk if any partitions from that disk are mounted. If you want to change your boot disk, you'll need to do so from an emergency system or type `sysctl kern.geom.debugflags=16` prior to launching `gdisk`.


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## openbsd98324 (Feb 11, 2022)

Thank you - I will try as soon as possible.


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