Cannot add root to Wheel Group Users

noo-bee

Registered
Apr 29, 2014
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Root Administrator
I have just recently started to use WHM before I start loading my site onto the server.

I notice that I cannot add root to the Wheel Group Users - I get a message saying 'You cannot alter the root account'. This is despite the fact that I am the root user.

Also, from most of the searches I have done, it seems that root is generally part of the wheel group users? This group of users seems to be those with su access, which should mean that root is by default in the group?

Some of the posts regarding root and the wheel group users relate to PermitRootLogin and the settings in the sshd_config file, but so far I have not edited this, and PermitRootLogin is set to yes.

Any suggestions will be welcome.
 

cPanelMichael

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 11, 2011
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Hello :)

You do not have to add the "root" user to the wheel group because it already has root privileges on the system. The wheel group is intended for other users to utilize "su" to obtain root access.

Thank you.
 

noo-bee

Registered
Apr 29, 2014
4
0
1
cPanel Access Level
Root Administrator
So the 'root' in the 'Add a user to the wheel group' is actually redundant? Thanks for the response - the impression I had from scanning Google and forums was that root would be the default entry in the wheel group list, and though it seems counterintuitive to put it in the list of users to be added to the group, it's good to know that that's the WHM default and does not have to be changed.
 

cPanelMichael

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 11, 2011
47,880
2,261
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So the 'root' in the 'Add a user to the wheel group' is actually redundant?
WHM is showing you a list of all users on the system, including root, in that interface. You do not have to actually add "root" to the wheel group.

Thank you.