There are (at least) two users in any Ubuntu installation. Both are in your control.
The two are
- Your user
root
user - Linux equivalent of administrator account. Has all powers. Handles administrative tasks.
Now, your user only has access to your personal files. All other files, which are essential configuration and system files, are owned by root
.
How do I access them?
The root
account can only (unless you willingly workaround this) is by using sudo
. sudo
is the program that allows normal users (like you) to run programs with powers of the administrative root
user.
Hit Alt+F2 and type gksudo nautilus
in it and hit Enter.
A dialog asking for a password will appear. Enter your password and hit Enter or Click OK.
The file manager should open, but this time it is run with root
's powers. You can now do anything, including creating that file.
Why are there two accounts if I can access it anyway?
Privilege separation — the idea that you should only get the power to do/destroy anything when you need it. A major contributor to Linux's excellent reputation for security is due to the fact that it separates admin from user.
If you would run as root
all the time, any virus could destroy your system very easily.