[Quantian-general] password

[R Heberto Ghezzo, Dr]

Frankly I do not know how to use Linux. . . 
I use Quantian_0-1.7.9.2 DVD , booting from the DVD with a persistent home (2 Gb) and my.config in C:\ (FAT32)
I decided to upgrade the program R, the version in the DVD 7.9.2 is R.2.2 while now it is R-2.5.2. I downloaded the R.tar.gz from de debian folder in Cran, ungzipped it in tmp. if I click the mouse on R.deb I get the Kpackage screen with the program R-basic.. if I click on install I get a screen asking for root password? I understood that there is no password in Knoppix or Quantian, I tried Knoppix, knoppix, Quantian, quantian, are none and I always came back to the same question.
Since I have a 2 Gb persistent home I assume, possible wrongly, that I can install all the new R in the persistent home since I boot from a DVD
Can somebody help me in how to upgrade R , or more generally how to install programs in the persistent home?
Thanks
Heberto Ghezzo
Montreal