Now you must assign a password to the ``root'' account. The ``root'' or ``superuser'' account has complete access to the entire system. A single command issed improperly by an unwary user while logged in as root can leave a system in shambles. For this reason you should only use the root account when performing system maintenance or updates. See section 8.1 for instructions on adding user accounts. The root password will need to be at least six characters long and mix numerals with upper and lower case letters. At all costs, make it something you will remember. If you should happen to forget the root password you can boot into sigle user mode (section 10.4.1 and use the passwd command to set a new password. The characters you type will not be echoed to the screen. You must type the password twice in order to proceed with the installation. If there is a mismatch between the first and second password you will be prompted to enter the password again. (Figure 2.11)
Figure 2.11: Root Password Entry