Well put Jeff, Sudo rocks, Ubuntu rocks! Root does exist, if you want the traditional method of using root, just activate root by doing sudo passwd root when you create a password then you can log in as root, if you then disable sudo, you are back to the traditional set up! I quite like the way Ubuntu has used sudo, but if you dont like it, it takes seconds to change! Gotta admit I am back using debian on my server, debian for a server anyday! Ubuntu for a desktop everyday! my 2c tuxta2
> --- Jeff Waugh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > <quote who="Sridhar Dhanapalan"> > > > > > 1. the installer didn't ask me to define a root > > password > > > > Yep, the root account is disabled. > > > > > 2. once installed, I discovered that the root > > password was the same as the > > > password of the user I had created in the > > installation > > > > Nup, there is no root password - it's locked. You > > must've been using sudo. > > > > > 3. the user I had created in the installation > was > > able to change system > > > settings that can normally only be changed as > root > > > > Only when you authenticate again via sudo. > > > > > 4. I could open a root terminal without typing a > > password > > > > The only time you can get to a root terminal > without > > typing a password is > > when you boot in recovery mode - sulogin drops you > > directly to a root prompt > > (if an attacker has sufficient physical access to > > your system to reboot and > > select the recovery mode boot choice, then your > > system is owned already). > > > > > To fix the last two points I had to manually > turn > > off "Executing system > > > administration tasks" in "Users and Groups". > > > > That actually means you've disabled sudo access > for > > your user, which you'll > > have to recover by booting in recovery mode. > > > > > While I believe that Lindow^H^H^Hspire is a wart > > on the face of free > > > software, I was shocked to see Ubuntu seemingly > > taking the same path. Am I > > > missing something? > > > > Yep - the difference between running every process > > as root and secure access > > to administrative functionality via sudo. :-) > > > > - Jeff > > > > -- > > EuroOSCON: October 17th-20th > > http://conferences.oreillynet.com/eurooscon/ > > > > "I guess there's part of me that's always > > resented it... to be an > > actor, you have to have someone else say yes to > > you." - Edward Norton > > -- > > SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - > > http://slug.org.au/ > > Subscription info and FAQs: > > http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html > > > > > Send instant messages to your online friends > http://au.messenger.yahoo.com > Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
