getting setgid:Operation not permitted error while running 'su' command - Ubuntu 12.04

Question

I am logged in with imp user. And when I am trying to login via root user on terminal:

impuser@machine:~$ su - root

it gives:

setgid:Operation not permitted

any idea,How to resolve this issue?

Answer 1

Ubuntu only allows sudo to increase privilege level, not su (unlike other distros). To get a root shell, try this:

sudo su

Answer 2

sudo -i

For an interactive root shell. This has the benefit of also processing the .login and .profile scripts.

sudo -s

Will also give you a root shell but it will not process the root login scripts.

Answer 3

If "impuser" is allowed to get root ( that means that he is not excluded from sudo rights in the /etc/sudoers file ) Just press Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard to open Terminal. When it opens, run the command below.

sudo su