Q: Logging In the First Time

I just installed Red Hat Linux, but now I see this screen that says "login." What do I do now?

A: Logging In as Root or User

When you installed Red Hat Linux, you were asked to create a root password and an account called root was created for you. The root account is all-knowing, all-powerful (at least, as far as your system is concerned).

You were also given the opportunity to create one or more user accounts at that time, for which you could specify a login name and a password.

When you see login:, then, type either the name and password of a user account you've already created during the installation, or log in as root by typing root.

	Forget your password?
	If you forget your root password, don't panic. Turn to the section called Unable to Log In for instructions on how to repair the problem.

In the password: field, type in the root password you were asked to create during the installation of Red Hat Linux, or the password for a user account.

What to do next? Well, if you're root -- the system administrator -- one of your first tasks should be to create a user account, if you haven't already done so. (Every good system administrator works within their user account, rather than rely on the root account for day-to-day tasks.) Refer to the section called Create a User Account in Chapter 1 for instructions on how to create your user account.