Sean,
When configuring and doing things where root IS NEEDED is the exception
obviously! I am talking about as a normal user. Of course you have to
configure, tweak, install, etc. in root...THAT'S ITS JOB to administer
the system.
But when you are doing user stuff, like going online to get email, run
browser/email programs, listen to online streams, IRC, ICQ, GAIM, whatever
you are a user and being the root administrator is foolish.
If you need administrator/root privileges...while you are user...it is
right there...su in...do what you need and exit.
What's the problem?
Bambi
Sean Middleditch wrote:
>
> Fran Parker wrote:
>
> > Not everyone wants or needs to take the kind of chances you do.
> > Not everyone wants or needs to, as you suggest, reinstall due to
> > running as root and opening yourself up to invasion and loss.
> > Not everyone wants or needs to take the unnecessary time to do
> > that...su is not hard!
>
> I think you're being just a tad over-dramatic there... I have to run as root for very
> long periods of time (setting a server for DNS+HTTPD+dial in, and copying a Support
> Web system I made over, and setting up MySQL... about 4 hours logged in only as root
> getting this all set up) and never have any problems. The only serious issue I've
> had so far is when I installed my new motherboard, and that's because I deleted the
> parition /boot was mounted to (it needed to be redone to install lilo, since I wasn't
> using another hard-drive as primary any more). Other than that, I've never screwed
> up a system as root.
>
> > If everyone wanted this kind of abuse ... they could have stayed
> > with Windows and gotten all they wanted!
