root
A Linux system account: what it is, and which numbers it holds.
What this account is
The superuser account. Both distributions place it at UID and GID 0 — not an ordinary number handed out per machine, but the identity the system itself treats as privileged.
Source: base-passwd 3.6.8 (passwd, group); alpine-baselayout passwd and group, aports. Read 2026-08-08.
Sources
| Distribution | Source package | Package version | Commit | Read from source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | base-passwd | 3.6.8 | a080557e1d59 | 2026-08-07 |
| Alpine Linux | alpine-baselayout | 3.7.2 | a9c597c5cee0 | 2026-08-07 |