OsdeInfo: Super User

Super User

You can become superuser (aka root) in a number of different ways. You can normally see if you are running as superuser (root) by looking at the prompt chacter
Normal User

Super User

sudo

Run a single text based command as superuser
(only if you a member of the sudoers group (which you probably are on a Debian based distro such as Ubuntu))

$ sudo ls
Password: <enter-your-password>
$

gksu

Run a graphical based command as superuser
(only if you a member of the sudoers group (which you probably are on a Debian based distro such as Ubuntu))

$ sudo ls
Password: <enter-your-password>
$

su

Get a interactive shell to run multiple superuser commands
(only if you know the 'root' password which you probably do on CentOS & Red Hat RHEL)

$ su -
Password: <enter-root-password>
#

sudo -i

Get a interactive shell to run multiple superuser commands
Preferred

$ sudo -i
#

Alternative

$ sudo su -
#

See SudoSubtleties

REFERRERS
DebianPackageTools
XubuntuInstall