How to Change the Root Password on Linux

What this is

This procedure changes the password of the root user on a Linux server.

What it is for

• Regain access when you need to update credentials
• Improve security by rotating the root password
• Prepare the server before handing it to another admin

Prerequisites

• SSH access to the server
• You must be logged in as root or as a user with sudo privileges

Step-by-step (extremely detailed)

Step 1) Confirm who you are logged in as

Command:

whoami

What it does: Prints the current username.

Why it is needed: You must know if you need sudo.

Expected output: root or your username (example: ubuntu).

Step 2) Change the root password

Option A (you are root)

Command:

passwd

What it does: Changes the password for the current user (root).

Why it is needed: This is the standard, safe way to change passwords.

What you should expect: Prompts like:

New password:
Retype new password:
passwd: password updated successfully

Important note: When typing passwords, Linux does not show characters on screen.

Option B (you are NOT root, but you have sudo)

Command:

sudo passwd root

What it does: Changes the password of the root user.

Why it is needed: Allows an admin user to reset root password.

Expected output: Similar prompts to Option A, ending with password updated successfully.

Step 3) (Recommended) Make sure root password login is not your only access

Why this matters: If you lose the root password and have no sudo user or SSH key, you can lock yourself out.

Quick check: Ensure you have at least one sudo user and SSH access still works.

Warnings & useful notes

• Use a strong password (long, unique, not reused).
• Do not paste passwords into chats or tickets.
• If you use SSH keys and have disabled password auth, changing root password may not affect your SSH login (and that is OK).

Final verification

Verify sudo/root still works

Command (if you are a sudo user):

sudo -v

Expected output: Usually silent on success (or asks for your password then succeeds).

Conclusion

You successfully changed the root password. As a best practice, keep at least one additional sudo user and prefer SSH keys for login.