<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
      type="topic" style="task"
      id="gedit-edit-as-root">

  <info>
    <link type="guide" xref="index#gedit-working-with-files"/>
    <revision pkgversion="3.0" version="1.0" date="2011-03-25" status="final"/>
    <credit type="author">
      <name>Jim Campbell</name>
      <email>jwcampbell@gmail.com</email>
    </credit>
  </info>

  <title>Edit a file as the root (administative) user</title>

  <note style="warning"><p>Editing files as the root user is potentially dangerous, and may break your system in bad ways. Take great care when editing files as the root user.</p></note>

  <p>To edit files as the root user, launch <app>gedit</app> from the terminal by entering:</p>
    <code>sudo gedit</code>
  <p>Using the <cmd>sudo</cmd> command, you will need to successfully enter your password before <app>gedit</app> will open.</p>

  <p>As an alternative to the <cmd>sudo</cmd> command, you may obtain administrative privileges by entering:</p>
    <code>su -</code>
  <p>You would then launch <app>gedit</app> using the <cmd>gedit</cmd> command.</p>

  <note><p>Once you have opened <app>gedit</app> with administrative privileges, the application will retain those privileges until you close it.</p></note>

</page>
