As a sysadmin, you should know the dangers of logging-in as root. Root gives
god-like access to the machine, and accessing the Internet as root is just
asking for trouble. When you use the Internet, you are announcing your
presence to the world. If you are root, then anyone who manages to break into
your system (which is much easier when you're root) will also have god-like
access. Because of this, it is best to minimise the time you spend as root,
and to limit your permissions to only as much as you require. This can be
achieved with a combination of su, kdesu and sudo from an ordinary user
account.
On Mon, 9 Jul 2001 09:37, RahOoh wrote:
> If its so easy to have root capabilities, why not just log on as root?
> I work as a system administrator and I always log on as root, and so do my
> peers. Perhaps this is because we write scripts all the time, but I have no
> problems. Just my point of view.
> Dan B
>
> Sridhar Dhanapalan wrote:
> > Curtis,
> >
> > I must ask why you have the need to log on as root. There should be
> > absolutely no need for it (it's a security risk). One of the best ways to
> > accomplish a task that requires root privileges (e.g.
> > installing/uninstalling software, changing configs, etc.) is to su into a
> > root terminal. To do this, simply open a terminal and type "su". Enter
> > your root password and from then on everything in the terminal is done as
> > root. Everything outside the terminal will be done as your user. Remember
> > to close (or log out of) the terminal as soon as you're done, to minimise
> > the time you leave your system open. Also, take a look at "kdesu" (part
> > of KDE -- look in the KDE help for details) and sudo (a separate package
> > but on your Mandrake CDs). These make running root tasks from within a
> > user account even easier.
> >
> > One thing you mentioned below is your use of the Ctrl + Alt + Backspace
> > key combo to log out. This is supposed to be for emergencies only,
> > similar to Ctrl + Alt + Del in Windows. If you wish to log-off, you
> > should use the log-off function in your environment of choice (kind of
> > like "shutting-down" X). When this is done, you can log-in again,
> > shut-down your computer (using the menu option), or reboot (again, using
> > the appropriate menu option). Failure to do these things may may result
> > in ruin to your system.
> >
> > On Mon, 9 Jul 2001 00:52, Curtis Matthiesen wrote:
> > > Hi there,
> > >
> > > I was wondering if there is a way that I can run my Kmail account while
> > > I'm logged under as Root.
> > >
> > > For example if there is a switch of some sort that'll allow me to do
> > > this, so that way if I am logged under Root I don't have to
> > > Ctrl + Alt + Backspace and relogon just to get to my email.
> > >
> > > TIA
> > >
> > > Curtis
> >
> > --
> > Sridhar Dhanapalan.
> > "There are two major products that come from Berkeley:
> > LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence."
> > -- Jeremy S. Anderson
--
Sridhar Dhanapalan.
"There are two major products that come from Berkeley:
LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence."
-- Jeremy S. Anderson
