Getting "Authentication denied" when trying to enter password to change to root

[dderolph]

I'm running Ubuntu 10.04LTS as a virtual machine using VMware Player. I want to use Terminal to use tar to install VMware Tools for VMware Player per instructions at http://www.vmware.com/support/ws55/d...html#wp1127214. When I open Terminal and attempt to change to root via "su -", I get an "Authentication denied" message. How can I resolve that?

[3Miro]

Ubuntu doesn't use root account. You have to use "sudo"

sudo some_command

then the command will run as root.

[coolbeans777]

You cant login as root, but what you can do is sudo every command
Eg
Instead of

Su root
Blah
Blah

You can do

Sudo blah
Sudo blah

[sikander3786]

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo

For gaining temporary root access,

sudo -i

[coolbeans777]

You cant login as root, but what you can do is sudo every command
Eg
Instead of

Su root
Blah
Blah

You can do

Sudo blah
Sudo blah

[dderolph]

OK, thanks for all the replies.

Now, I have another problem. I'll start another topic.