Windows has a super-administrator account that has not only elevated privileges to perform protected system functions, but unfettered access to anything on the computer, regardless of user ownership. Does Linux have an equivalent? My understanding is that in terms of access to all user accounts, root is just another user (it would defeat user security if any user could become any other user simply by doing it via root).
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In Linux/Unix the user with user id 0 is such a super administrator. The user is usually called "root", but the magic is really behind the id and not the name.
That user is especially not bound to local file access permissions and can read and write any file. That user also has the ability to change to any other user without needing a password.
michas
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Your understanding is wrong. root is all-powerful, and becoming other users is a critical part of root's usefulness.
o11c
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Im not sure what "Windows super-administrator" is but, what you are asking for is root. You can run it using sudo.
DisplayName
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suto become another user requires the user's password. On a multi-user system, how would you give a number of users access to perform system tasks but not access to other user's files? – fixer1234 Oct 06 '14 at 07:38sudoisn't just for running things as root, but as other users too, and can be restricted as such. – remmy Oct 06 '14 at 08:11sudocan be restricted as to what commands what users are allowed to run with altered credentials. For example, you could allow a user to change the system date/time, or stop and restart system services (e.g., network or print queues), without giving him the ability to look at other users' files (i.e., by *not* letting him run things likels,cat,cp,vi, andchmodas root). – G-Man Says 'Reinstate Monica' Oct 16 '14 at 17:29