Ubuntu root account

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?t=537192

Ubuntu doesn't really install a root with passeord. To run commands that require root use sudo before the command.

Example:
sudo ifconfig eth0
or just
sudo -i

Everything you need to know is here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/permissions
http://psychocats.net/ubuntu/security#sudoisnotroot

You don't have to setup a root account on Ubuntu, but many people who are used to a classical root account may prefer it over sudo. It just depends on what you are comfortable with. Personally I disable sudo when I setup Ubuntu based systems for myself and use classical root. To run commands as root, I use 'su -c' so there is no need to login as root proper.