Login as Root User in Raspberry Pi at Boot

The root user on the Raspberry Pi system is the most trusted user with the power to edit, run and execute all files on the system. Simply using the “su” command will help the user quickly access and log in to root users on Raspberry Pi. It’s better to ensure login into the system at the boot since it adds more privacy to the Raspberry Pi user and takes complete control over the system by allowing working with only the terminal and GUI interface.

Follow this article for detailed guidance on using Raspberry Pi as a root user at boot.

Log in as Root User on Raspberry Pi at Boot

To log in as a root user at boot, go through the below-given steps:

Step 1: Open Raspberry Pi configuration using the following command:

Step 2: Go to the “Boot/Auto Login” option in the “System Options” section.

Step 3: Select the “Desktop” mode that requires the user to log in to Raspberry Pi credentials to log in to the system.

Reboot the system, choose the “Other” option, and enter the root as username and password.

Note: If you forgot the root password, you could change it by entering as a root user in the Raspberry Pi terminal and entering the command “passwd” to set a new password for the root user.

Click the “Log In” button to log in to the Raspberry Pi system as a root user.

On the desktop screen, you won’t be able to access the Raspberry Pi desktop, but you can perform the terminal-related tasks by opening the terminal using “CTRL+ALT+T”.

At this point, you have successfully entered as a root user on the Raspberry Pi system.

Conclusion

Root users can gain complete power over the system and run files and terminal-related commands. They can quickly enter the Raspberry Pi system as a root user at the boot by enabling the Login screen mode through the “raspi-config” command. After that, they must reboot the device and log in to the Raspberry Pi system using the username “root” with the default root password.