By default, the root account is disabled in OS X. If you are a developer new to the platform, you will be needing to access many things that are available only with root access. This tutorial walks you through the process of enabling the root account in Leopard (OS X 10.5).

NOTE: This guide is specific to enabling root access on Leopard, (10.5). To learn how to enable root access on Snow Leopard (10.6), follow these instructions. To learn how to enable root access on Tiger (10.4), follow these instructions instead.

Enabling Root in Leopard:

1. Open the Directory Utility: In the Finder, navigate to the Utilities folder (tip: click on the desktop, hit Cmd+Shift+U).
2. Click on the padlock to allow edits.
3. Go Edit > Enable Root Password
4. Enter and re-enter your password.

Now, you are set to access protected areas of the system via the terminal.

By default, the root account is disabled in OS X. If you are a developer new to the platform, you will be needing to access many things that are available only with root access. This tutorial walks you through the process of enabling the root account in OS X.

NOTE: This guide is specific to enabling root access on Tiger, (10.4). To learn how to enable root access on Snow Leopard (10.6), follow these instructions. To learn how to enable root access on Leopard (10.5), follow these instructions instead.

Enabling Root in Tiger:

1. From within an account with administrative privilegs, open NetInfo Manager (found in the Utilities folder)
2. If it is locked, click the Padlock icon in the lower portion of the window to allow changes
3. Go to the tools menu and select “Enable Root User”
4. Enter the password for your administrative account when prompted
5. Now select Users from the “/” list, and select “root” from the users list
6. Select the “passwd” row and double-click the password value
7. Change the password one that is secure
8. Click the padlock icon again to lock out further changes, and you’re done

Alternatively, you can simply type “sudo passwd root” in a terminal window, and you’re off to the races.

To change the root password once root access has been turned on, simply do the same and type “sudo passwd root” in a terminal window. Enter the new password, and you’re done.