Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Saturday 02 May 2009 19:02:42 Christofer C. Bell wrote: There's nothing special about how Ubuntu does it. In fact, when you install Etch you can have the Ubuntu behavior at installation time (when it prompts for a root password, select Cancel, then in the installer menu, select the option for configuring user accounts and select No when it asks if you want to allow root to have a password). It's all pretty self-explanatory in the installer. This option was removed in Lenny's installer. Actually, it's still in the installer. The debconf priority was lowered, but you can still set the option in a preseed file, or by telling the installer to lower the priority of debconf, or by passing priority=low to the installer. Anyway, again, not criticizing your desire to have a root password, I'm simply pointing out that there's nothing special about what Ubuntu is doing and if you want to have a root password on Ubuntu and use Ubuntu, you can. I had to figure that out on my own, long ago. What they did do, that wasn't always trivial is modify many of the graphical su programs to use sudo instead of su, which helps bypass the need for a root password. Also, the default for Aptitude::Get-Root-Command on debian is su, while it's sudo on ubuntu. Also, the sudo on ubuntu seems to have its authentication timestamps tied to the terminal/shell (I don't know which) that originally authenticated. So, if you are using sudo in one terminal, then quickly start another terminal and use sudo in that terminal, you will have to authenticate again. -- Thanks: Joseph Rawson signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part.
Re: [OT] Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Tue, May 05, 2009 at 11:09:22PM -0500, Boyd Stephen Smith Jr. wrote: In 20090506023930.gb12...@samad.com.au, Alex Samad wrote: how can you create files in $HOME that the owner of $HOME can't delete ? b...@monster:~$ sudo mkdir data [sudo] password for bss: b...@monster:~$ sudo touch data/file b...@monster:~$ rm -rf data rm: cannot remove `data/file': Permission denied b...@monster:~$ ls -ld data drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 72 2009-05-05 23:07 data b...@monster:~$ rmdir data rmdir: failed to remove `data': Directory not empty yes, had a brain fart, forgot you have to do a depth first deletion -- Let me just first tell you that I�ve never been more convinced that the decisions I made are the right decisions. - George W. Bush 09/12/2006 Washington, DC said to journalists in the Oval Office (as reported by the National Review) signature.asc Description: Digital signature
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Monday 04 May 2009 19:10:44 Harry Rickards wrote: Paul Johnson wrote: Harry Rickards wrote: But if they can run aptitude in the first place, surely they could either su to root or use sudo to read or delete the files. Just my opinion. Aptitude doesn't need root to run. I tell my users to check aptitude if they want to find out if I'm willing to install it (largely because I'm lazy and running a hobby system). You only need root to commit changes. Sorry, yeah I was thinking of aptitude as in 'aptitude install bash', not aptitude as the gui-based tool. This applies just as much to the CLI. Aptitude will run for any user, but only root can commit changes. I frequently run aptitude at at the CLI as an ordinary user to use e.g. search, and then change to root if I decide to install. Lisi -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Sat, 2 May 2009 17:51:35 +0800 (WST) Bret Busby b...@busby.net wrote: ... On this desktop computer, I also dual boot into Ubuntu 8.04. Ubuntu 8.04 can do things that I have been unable to do with Debian 4.0, such as viewing .wmv files. I can view wmv files fine on my Debian Sid; can you provide an example of a problematic wmv? Celejar -- mailmin.sourceforge.net - remote access via secure (OpenPGP) email ssuds.sourceforge.net - A Simple Sudoku Solver and Generator -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
[OT] Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Mon, May 04, 2009 at 03:36:50PM +0100, Harry Rickards wrote: -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Daniel Burrows wrote: On Mon, May 04, 2009 at 08:51:28AM +0300, Andrei Popescu andreimpope...@gmail.com was heard to say: On Sun,03.May.09, 10:18:49, Douglas A. Tutty wrote: [snip] But if they can run aptitude in the first place, surely they could either su to root or use sudo to read or delete the files. Just my opinion. how can you create files in $HOME that the owner of $HOME can't delete ? [snip] signature.asc Description: Digital signature
Re: [OT] Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
In 20090506023930.gb12...@samad.com.au, Alex Samad wrote: how can you create files in $HOME that the owner of $HOME can't delete ? b...@monster:~$ sudo mkdir data [sudo] password for bss: b...@monster:~$ sudo touch data/file b...@monster:~$ rm -rf data rm: cannot remove `data/file': Permission denied b...@monster:~$ ls -ld data drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 72 2009-05-05 23:07 data b...@monster:~$ rmdir data rmdir: failed to remove `data': Directory not empty -- Boyd Stephen Smith Jr. ,= ,-_-. =. b...@iguanasuicide.net ((_/)o o(\_)) ICQ: 514984 YM/AIM: DaTwinkDaddy `-'(. .)`-' http://iguanasuicide.net/\_/ signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part.
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Sun,03.May.09, 10:18:49, Douglas A. Tutty wrote: However, does the package management software (as aptitude does) store user preferences in the home directory? If, for example, you always run aptitude as yourself then give it the root password when prompted, it stores your preferences in your home directory. If you later run aptitude as root, those prefernces won't be active. Also, vis-versa. It's a bit more weird than this (I thought about filing a whishlist bug): when you start aptitude as user it uses his preferences, but as soon as you switch to root (via the menu items or when prompted) aptitude also switches to root's preferences. Kinda' confusing. Regards, Andrei -- If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. (Albert Einstein) signature.asc Description: Digital signature
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Mon, May 04, 2009 at 08:51:28AM +0300, Andrei Popescu wrote: On Sun,03.May.09, 10:18:49, Douglas A. Tutty wrote: However, does the package management software (as aptitude does) store user preferences in the home directory? If, for example, you always run aptitude as yourself then give it the root password when prompted, it stores your preferences in your home directory. If you later run aptitude as root, those prefernces won't be active. Also, vis-versa. It's a bit more weird than this (I thought about filing a whishlist bug): when you start aptitude as user it uses his preferences, but as soon as you switch to root (via the menu items or when prompted) aptitude also switches to root's preferences. Kinda' confusing. It is not just aptitude, but generic problem for becoming root and chosing home directory: $ env|grep HOME HOME=/home/osamu $ sudo env|grep HOME HOME=/home/osamu $ su -c env|grep HOME Password: HOME=/root $ sudo -H env|grep HOME HOME=/root sudo reset most environment variable but $HOME. Any softwares which use $HOME to decide configuration needs to be careful about this thing. Osamu -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Daniel Burrows wrote: On Mon, May 04, 2009 at 08:51:28AM +0300, Andrei Popescu andreimpope...@gmail.com was heard to say: On Sun,03.May.09, 10:18:49, Douglas A. Tutty wrote: However, does the package management software (as aptitude does) store user preferences in the home directory? If, for example, you always run aptitude as yourself then give it the root password when prompted, it stores your preferences in your home directory. If you later run aptitude as root, those prefernces won't be active. Also, vis-versa. It's a bit more weird than this (I thought about filing a whishlist bug): when you start aptitude as user it uses his preferences, but as soon as you switch to root (via the menu items or when prompted) aptitude also switches to root's preferences. Kinda' confusing. There's a long and fairly tortured history behind which configuration aptitude uses when. Basically: if aptitude uses $HOME instead of changing to /root, then it'll end up sticking root-owned files inside the user's home directory, including files the user might not be able to read and/or delete. But if they can run aptitude in the first place, surely they could either su to root or use sudo to read or delete the files. Just my opinion. - -- Many thanks Harry Rickards (a.k.a l33tmyst) - -BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK- Version: 3.1 GAT/GCM/GCS/GCC/GIT/GM d? s: a? C UL P- L+++ E--- W+++ N o K+ w--- O- M- V- PS+ PE Y+ PGP++ t 5 X R tv-- b+++ DI D G e* h! !r y? - --END GEEK CODE BLOCK-- -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iEYEARECAAYFAkn+/YIACgkQ1kZz3mRu0GqMnQCfYkMEPo6sgtxTWxvTQnbLH4Am yI4AoN+Aikaa65Ch3r7Ipn+A4jLHgXSw =goWH -END PGP SIGNATURE- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Mon, May 04, 2009 at 08:51:28AM +0300, Andrei Popescu andreimpope...@gmail.com was heard to say: On Sun,03.May.09, 10:18:49, Douglas A. Tutty wrote: However, does the package management software (as aptitude does) store user preferences in the home directory? If, for example, you always run aptitude as yourself then give it the root password when prompted, it stores your preferences in your home directory. If you later run aptitude as root, those prefernces won't be active. Also, vis-versa. It's a bit more weird than this (I thought about filing a whishlist bug): when you start aptitude as user it uses his preferences, but as soon as you switch to root (via the menu items or when prompted) aptitude also switches to root's preferences. Kinda' confusing. There's a long and fairly tortured history behind which configuration aptitude uses when. Basically: if aptitude uses $HOME instead of changing to /root, then it'll end up sticking root-owned files inside the user's home directory, including files the user might not be able to read and/or delete. Daniel -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
Harry Rickards wrote: But if they can run aptitude in the first place, surely they could either su to root or use sudo to read or delete the files. Just my opinion. Aptitude doesn't need root to run. I tell my users to check aptitude if they want to find out if I'm willing to install it (largely because I'm lazy and running a hobby system). You only need root to commit changes. signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Paul Johnson wrote: Harry Rickards wrote: But if they can run aptitude in the first place, surely they could either su to root or use sudo to read or delete the files. Just my opinion. Aptitude doesn't need root to run. I tell my users to check aptitude if they want to find out if I'm willing to install it (largely because I'm lazy and running a hobby system). You only need root to commit changes. Sorry, yeah I was thinking of aptitude as in 'aptitude install bash', not aptitude as the gui-based tool. - -- Many thanks Harry Rickards (a.k.a l33tmyst) - -BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK- Version: 3.1 GAT/GCM/GCS/GCC/GIT/GM d? s: a? C UL P- L+++ E--- W+++ N o K+ w--- O- M- V- PS+ PE Y+ PGP++ t 5 X R tv-- b+++ DI D G e* h! !r y? - --END GEEK CODE BLOCK-- -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iEYEARECAAYFAkn/L6QACgkQ1kZz3mRu0GoqJACgkk3wPoK9knuRtAktr8L4F97C 8WoAnRwwA7Bbzpy6OAT6C8l8KjxFUA8i =IWLE -END PGP SIGNATURE- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Mon,04.May.09, 19:10:44, Harry Rickards wrote: Sorry, yeah I was thinking of aptitude as in 'aptitude install bash', not aptitude as the gui-based tool. aptitude search interesting_package ;) Regards, Andrei -- If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. (Albert Einstein) signature.asc Description: Digital signature
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On 4 May 2009, at 21:01, Andrei Popescu andreimpope...@gmail.com wrote: On Mon,04.May.09, 19:10:44, Harry Rickards wrote: Sorry, yeah I was thinking of aptitude as in 'aptitude install bash', not aptitude as the gui-based tool. aptitude search interesting_package Yeah, there's that as well. Many thanks Harry Rickards (a.k.a l33tmyst) -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
Bret Busby wrote: Before I try it, please advise whether, in removing the sudo facility for users, the package management (both adding/removing packages, and, downloading and installing updates, and using synaptic) will work by entering only the root password. The package management software just needs root privileges. It doesn't care how it got them. Nobody is suggesting anything exotic here. Sudo is intended to be configured by the system administrator. That's you. -- John Hasler -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Sun, May 03, 2009 at 07:29:07AM -0500, John Hasler wrote: Bret Busby wrote: Before I try it, please advise whether, in removing the sudo facility for users, the package management (both adding/removing packages, and, downloading and installing updates, and using synaptic) will work by entering only the root password. The package management software just needs root privileges. It doesn't care how it got them. Nobody is suggesting anything exotic here. Sudo is intended to be configured by the system administrator. That's you. However, does the package management software (as aptitude does) store user preferences in the home directory? If, for example, you always run aptitude as yourself then give it the root password when prompted, it stores your preferences in your home directory. If you later run aptitude as root, those prefernces won't be active. Also, vis-versa. Doug. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
[...] If you later run aptitude as root, those prefernces won't be active. Also, vis-versa. So copy them? -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Sun, 3 May 2009 10:18:49 -0400 Douglas A. Tutty dtu...@vianet.ca wrote: On Sun, May 03, 2009 at 07:29:07AM -0500, John Hasler wrote: Bret Busby wrote: Before I try it, please advise whether, in removing the sudo facility for users, the package management (both adding/removing packages, and, downloading and installing updates, and using synaptic) will work by entering only the root password. The package management software just needs root privileges. It doesn't care how it got them. Nobody is suggesting anything exotic here. Sudo is intended to be configured by the system administrator. That's you. However, does the package management software (as aptitude does) store user preferences in the home directory? If, for example, you always run aptitude as yourself then give it the root password when prompted, it stores your preferences in your home directory. If you later run aptitude as root, those prefernces won't be active. Also, vis-versa. Doug. I don't think that aptitude will run as $user, Douglas. It always runs as root. At least, that's what it's always told me when I've mistakenly tried to run it as $user. -- Raquel http://www.byraquel.com They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. --Carl W. Buechner -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
Raquel wrote: On Sun, 3 May 2009 10:18:49 -0400 Douglas A. Tutty dtu...@vianet.ca wrote: On Sun, May 03, 2009 at 07:29:07AM -0500, John Hasler wrote: Bret Busby wrote: Before I try it, please advise whether, in removing the sudo facility for users, the package management (both adding/removing packages, and, downloading and installing updates, and using synaptic) will work by entering only the root password. The package management software just needs root privileges. It doesn't care how it got them. Nobody is suggesting anything exotic here. Sudo is intended to be configured by the system administrator. That's you. However, does the package management software (as aptitude does) store user preferences in the home directory? If, for example, you always run aptitude as yourself then give it the root password when prompted, it stores your preferences in your home directory. If you later run aptitude as root, those prefernces won't be active. Also, vis-versa. Doug. I don't think that aptitude will run as $user, Douglas. It always runs as root. At least, that's what it's always told me when I've mistakenly tried to run it as $user. It runs as user (in GUI mode), but it won't attempt to make changes to the system until you authenticate as root (become root). In command-line, I guess you must be root. But you can use sudo -c exec aptitude, I think, or something similar, if you are weird enough. Mark Allums -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
2009/5/4 Mark Allums m...@allums.com: Raquel wrote: I don't think that aptitude will run as $user, Douglas. It always runs as root. At least, that's what it's always told me when I've mistakenly tried to run it as $user. It runs as user (in GUI mode), but it won't attempt to make changes to the system until you authenticate as root (become root). In command-line, I guess you must be root. But you can use sudo -c exec aptitude, I think, or something similar, if you are weird enough. Mark Allums In CLI mode it will run as user for no changes to the system. Adrian -- 24x7x365 != 24x7x52 Stupid or bad maths? erno hm. I've lost a machine.. literally _lost_. it responds to ping, it works completely, I just can't figure out where in my apartment it is. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Sat, 25 Apr 2009, prad wrote: we use (and support) both, but i'd like to establish a rationale for using one or the other. are there situations where debian is preferable (eg older hardware)? are there situations where ubuntu is preferable (eg picking up newer hardware)? what's better for use on a server? ubuntu has a server edition (with an excellent guide), but is it any different from debian? i personally like debian's slow cycle - i don't like to upgrade if i can help it. my son, on the otherhand, likes to try the new stuff whenever possible. i would like to see some opinions and personal experiences regarding these 2 excellent systems! -- In friendship, prad In the responses that I have seen so far in this thread, the thread has apparently degenerated into a one-upmanship battle; where the main response sems to be I know better and more than anyone else. Well, I do not know better and more than anyone else. I am a Linux User, and I will not pretend to be an expert (Definition: An expert is a drip under pressure). I use both Ubuntu 8.04 and Debian 4.0. I have been using Debian 3.0, 3.1, and 4.0. I have also got Debian 5.0 installed on my laptop. I have tried Ubuntu 8.10, then upgraded it to 8.04 (yes, 8.04, not 9.04). I have been using Linux since Red Hat 4.0 (I think it was, and I definitely remember having 5.0 and later that I was using, until Red hat went the same way as Microsoft, and ended up putting out a version that simply would not run on the software that its said it would run on (version 9.0, I think), and that version of Slackware that was current at that time. When I started using Linux, it was the first derivative of UNIX that I had used, with a GUI. before that, I had used BSD v4.2, and SCO UNIX VR2 (or R3). With the question above, that involves Debian and Ubuntu, we have a LAN that uses Debian on the servers (a gateway firewall server, and, a mailserver), and Debian and Ubuntu on the nodes, which include this desktop, and some laptops. The gateway/firewall server runs a Smoothwall (Express, I think) installation which has its underlying OS as Debian 3.0 or Debian 3.1 . Due to the way that it is, I do not know how to properly upgrade it - it is a blackbox kind of thing, and is basically left alone, as it is neither clear nor simple, how to update and upgrade it to the latest version of Debian stable, if it can be so upgraded. The mailserver runs Debian 4.0. That runs fetchmail and postfix. Updating that, is easy and simple, using apt-get update, and apt-get dist-upgrade. On this computer, a desktop, I usually run Debian 4.0. I find it more convenient, for most things, and I do not like the sudo that Ubuntu uses; I prefer su - root. Before people start criticising that preference, it it my preference, and, it is up to each individual, to choose the person's preference, for whatever reasons that person makes the choice. That is one reason for preferring Debian for the servers; the requirement of a root password, for sysadmin, rather than being able to do sysadmin using a user password is preferable, for me. On this desktop computer, I also dual boot into Ubuntu 8.04. Ubuntu 8.04 can do things that I have been unable to do with Debian 4.0, such as viewing .wmv files. Each of the two distributions has its advantages on a desktop computer. On my laptop computer, I multi-boot, between Windows XP, Ubuntu 8.04, and now Debian 5.0 (previously Debian 4.0). My laptop computer is an HP NX5000. It has a wireless network card (a\nasty things - I would get rid of it, if I knew how). When we initially installed Debian 3.1 on that laptop, which was purchased with Windows XP installed, we had to use Mandriva to repartion it (Mandriva had a dynamic (?) partitioning utility), then install Ubuntu on it, then unistall Ubuntu and install Debian, as the wireless network card had an interrupt conflict with the wired network card, and it was a problem that was automatically (or, easily) resolved with Ubuntu, whereas Debian simply would not work with it. I think that was done with Ubuntu 7.04. When Debian 4.0 was installed on that laptop, it would not resolve the interrupt conflict, and Ubuntu had to be used again, to solve the interrupt conflict. With installing Ubuntu on that laptop, having a 10GB partition free, I finally decided to install Ubuntu into that partition, and, installed 8.10, as the latest Ubuntu version. Like the Split Enz song said, That was my mistake. It ran okay, until I did an update on it, and, basically, Ubuntu killed itself. Everything broke. So, in response to a query posted on a mailing list, and as Ubuntu 8.10 seemed to conform to the Debian Sid principle - from http://www.debian.org/releases/unstable/ ; Use it at your own risk!, and, from http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/ch-ftparchives#s-sid ; Sid was the boy next door who destroyed toys, I upgraded Ubuntu 8.10, to Ubuntu 8.04. One very
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Sat, May 2, 2009 at 4:51 AM, Bret Busby b...@busby.net wrote: On this computer, a desktop, I usually run Debian 4.0. I find it more convenient, for most things, and I do not like the sudo that Ubuntu uses; I prefer su - root. Before people start criticising that preference, it it my preference, and, it is up to each individual, to choose the person's preference, for whatever reasons that person makes the choice. That is one reason for preferring Debian for the servers; the requirement of a root password, for sysadmin, rather than being able to do sysadmin using a user password is preferable, for me. I'm not looking to criticize your choice, but the setting on Ubuntu to lock root and use sudo is configurable (and you can, in fact, duplicate it on Debian if you want). If you want to use a root password on Ubuntu, simply set one and then delete the configuration from /etc/sudoers that allows your username to use sudo. $ sudo passwd root $ su - root # visudo And so on. I'm sure you can find the line in there, it will be of the format: username ALL=(ALL) ALL Then save the file and sudo is no longer possible for your user account. To duplicate the behavior on Debian, you do something similar: $ su - root # visudo # passwd -l root Adding the above line to sudoers (which opens automatically when you invoke visudo). This will give your account sudo access and lock the root account (as Ubuntu does). There's nothing special about how Ubuntu does it. In fact, when you install Etch you can have the Ubuntu behavior at installation time (when it prompts for a root password, select Cancel, then in the installer menu, select the option for configuring user accounts and select No when it asks if you want to allow root to have a password). It's all pretty self-explanatory in the installer. This option was removed in Lenny's installer. Anyway, again, not criticizing your desire to have a root password, I'm simply pointing out that there's nothing special about what Ubuntu is doing and if you want to have a root password on Ubuntu and use Ubuntu, you can. -- Chris
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
And for anyone that wants a root prompt without disabling sudo, the folowing command has worked for me on the various 'buntus: `sudo su' - Nate -- The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true. Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://n0nb.us/index.html -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Sat, 2 May 2009, Christofer C. Bell wrote: On Sat, May 2, 2009 at 4:51 AM, Bret Busby b...@busby.net wrote: On this computer, a desktop, I usually run Debian 4.0. I find it more convenient, for most things, and I do not like the sudo that Ubuntu uses; I prefer su - root. Before people start criticising that preference, it it my preference, and, it is up to each individual, to choose the person's preference, for whatever reasons that person makes the choice. That is one reason for preferring Debian for the servers; the requirement of a root password, for sysadmin, rather than being able to do sysadmin using a user password is preferable, for me. I'm not looking to criticize your choice, but the setting on Ubuntu to lock root and use sudo is configurable (and you can, in fact, duplicate it on Debian if you want). If you want to use a root password on Ubuntu, simply set one and then delete the configuration from /etc/sudoers that allows your username to use sudo. $ sudo passwd root $ su - root # visudo And so on. I'm sure you can find the line in there, it will be of the format: username ALL=(ALL) ALL Then save the file and sudo is no longer possible for your user account. To duplicate the behavior on Debian, you do something similar: $ su - root # visudo # passwd -l root Adding the above line to sudoers (which opens automatically when you invoke visudo). This will give your account sudo access and lock the root account (as Ubuntu does). There's nothing special about how Ubuntu does it. In fact, when you install Etch you can have the Ubuntu behavior at installation time (when it prompts for a root password, select Cancel, then in the installer menu, select the option for configuring user accounts and select No when it asks if you want to allow root to have a password). It's all pretty self-explanatory in the installer. This option was removed in Lenny's installer. Anyway, again, not criticizing your desire to have a root password, I'm simply pointing out that there's nothing special about what Ubuntu is doing and if you want to have a root password on Ubuntu and use Ubuntu, you can. -- Chris Thank you for that. Before I try it, please advise whether, in removing the sudo facility for users, the package management (both adding/removing packages, and, downloading and installing updates, and using synaptic) will work by entering only the root password. Thank you in anticipation. -- Bret Busby Armadale West Australia .. So once you do know what the question actually is, you'll know what the answer means. - Deep Thought, Chapter 28 of Book 1 of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy In Four Parts, written by Douglas Adams, published by Pan Books, 1992 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Sat, May 2, 2009 at 9:44 PM, Bret Busby b...@busby.net wrote: Thank you for that. Before I try it, please advise whether, in removing the sudo facility for users, the package management (both adding/removing packages, and, downloading and installing updates, and using synaptic) will work by entering only the root password. Thank you in anticipation. Yes, that's correct. You will be required to enter the root password when you're trying to use a system administration tool that requires root access. -- Chris
Re: debian and ubuntu - answer from user not pretending to be guru
On Sat,02.May.09, 20:07:30, Nate Bargmann wrote: And for anyone that wants a root prompt without disabling sudo, the folowing command has worked for me on the various 'buntus: `sudo su' Why not 'sudo -i' (I'm trying to keep it simple and no involve two programs if avoidable)? Regards, Andrei -- If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. (Albert Einstein) signature.asc Description: Digital signature
