For security reasons, administrative tasks in Ubuntu can only be performed by users with special administrative privileges. The first user account created during installation will, by default, be able to perform administrative tasks.

When you run an application that requires administrative privileges, you will be asked to enter your user password. This helps to protect your system from malicious files and accidentally selecting options which may change the way your system works.

Each time you type your password, the system remembers it for 15 minutes so that you do not have to type it again.