I always set a root password on sudo-based systems
First thing I do on sudo-based systems is "sudo passwd root". Quite a few such systems would prompt for root's password for filing system repair when booting after an unclean shutdown - you're in trouble if you haven't set one!
I often run several root commands in a row, so I'll often just use "su -" for that (only doable if you set a root password), rather than "sudo bash".
Biting the hand that feeds IT
