Command not found: su root when attempting to switch to root on NSX appliances

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to access the root shell on a VMware NSX Manager or Edge via CLI (SSH or Console), the su root command fails with the following error:

nsx-mngr-01> su root
% Command not found: su root

Environment

• VMware NSX
• VMware NSX-T Data Center

Cause

The admin account logs into the NSX-CLI, which is a specialized management shell. Standard Linux bash commands (like su or sudo) are not available directly within this shell.

Resolution

To access the root shell and perform administrative tasks, follow these steps:

Log in to the NSX Manager as the admin user via SSH or the console.

At the NSX-CLI prompt (e.g., nsx-manager>), type the following command to start the shell:

• st en
• Enter the root password when prompted.

Additional Information

For more detail on ssh root access please see - Enable SSH Root access for NSX Appliance