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logging in as root?


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I've made the challenge several times and have yet to receive one good reason against running as root on a linux desktop. As a user....you are still running as root...like it or not...and there's no way around it.

Edited by bvc
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Guest anon
I've made the challenge several times and have yet to receive one good reason against running as root on a linux desktop.

I can think of a couple !

First, a newbie to Linux is bound to make a few mistakes so its better if he/she limits the damage done by just logging on as a user.

Of course, one could argue that starting off as root is the best way to learn...........debateable i guess.

 

Secondly, although there aren't many Linux virus's around, there are a few.

As i understand it, if you were running as a user and got a virus it would be trapped in the users space, it wouldn't have access to the root system files would it? so although the virus could cause havoc with your /home partition, the root and other partitions would be unaffected. This would seem to me the best reason for not running as root all the time while connected to the internet.

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Reasons NOT to run a GUI as root

 

1) when you use your browser/mail /everything you give ROOT access to your computer away. If you dont beleive this try yahoo/hotmail etc and add/upload file (or the one here)

 

2) When you run a file manager as root its easy to FUBAR a system...if you have a user and backup the home or data then its almost impossible to FUBAR a system as that user..you can only FUBAR that user. Additionally as a user you wont have permission to accidentally delete or move critical system files. For example you can't delete /dev as a user... or ./proc.... etc.

 

 

3) Your envvar's SHOULD not be set the same as root including PATH etc. root has commands which should only be run as root etc.

 

4) When you log in as a normal user you're prompted for the root password when you select a 'dangerous' option or something where you can do damage.

WinBlows tends to make this different... you hide away menu's etc. to stop users changing theor settings... in *nix you use permissions...

permissions are much neater...

 

it means you can run as a normal user and whne you need to you use root privelidges...

 

accidents always happen... would you argue its not necassary to check and safe a weapon ? Its the same thing, you use root when its needed.

 

5) A user isn't running as root they are running within root. At init 1 only the single process exists .. however after this processes are belonging to another process but are limited in extent. Thuis might sound the same but its not...

 

6) Even if non of the rest matters its the paradigm on which the OS, window managers etc. are built. They are designed with this failsafe to be there... WinXP has an opposite paradigm...you log in as root (admin) and then all processes are root. (admin)

 

Why is this... becuase its better or because MS have never been able to make a true multiuser OS? It might be a matter of convenience but noones arguing a seatbelt is better than a 5 point harness (to pick on bvc's avatar) .... with rollbars and a 5 point harness your chance of surviving a crash is 10x more, perhaps 100x depending on the crash...

 

People IMHO have a right not to wear any seatbelt .. that freedom BUT they should be AWARE of the damage they can do. I agree with bvc that if someone wants to run a gui as root its up to them but I also think you should let them know the risks first....

 

just an analogy... this is like giving kids your cigarettes. Im not suggesting mysticpain is a 5 yr old who needs telling not to smoke, Im saying bvc and I know better than to think you can take or leave smoking... so if A friend I know doesnt smoke asks me for a cig (OK I quit now but for the sake of the analogy) I explain that they are welcome to take one but they should be aware it has hidden dangers.. its not this time its the 1001th ...

 

Sure you can log in as root, do something in a GUI and get away but it has hidden dangers and eventually we all make mistakes....

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oh, and you're not actually using ramfree17 are you?

this has caught me offguard. i had to double take on the posted entries because i couldnt connect why bvc brought my username up. :lol2:

 

why against running as root? because im paranoid. hehehehe...

 

ciao!

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I've made the challenge several times and have yet to receive one good reason against running as root on a linux desktop.

I can think of a couple !

First, a newbie to Linux is bound to make a few mistakes so its better if he/she limits the damage done by just logging on as a user.

Of course, one could argue that starting off as root is the best way to learn...........debateable i guess.

 

Secondly, although there aren't many Linux virus's around, there are a few.

As i understand it, if you were running as a user and got a virus it would be trapped in the users space, it wouldn't have access to the root system files would it? so although the virus could cause havoc with your /home partition, the root and other partitions would be unaffected. This would seem to me the best reason for not running as root all the time while connected to the internet.

exactly. I jumped into linux as root after only having my first pc for one year and doing ALL to win that could be done......ALL......tear it up if you want to learn, is what I say. It's a desktop not a corp. network.

 

Virus? Well you can read in the hidden forum what I've said about that. That's the least of my concerns. Or do I have any concerns?....hmmm.......nope! :thumbs:

 

Live Free Or Die!

:bvc:

Edited by bvc
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Gowator, I appreciate the time you put into your post but I have already put 3x the effort into shooting down your examples that has been deleted/moved, despite board guidelines not being broken. I'm not going to do it again. We can't have discussions/debates at all anymore if it's not about software patents or M$ :rolleyes: I will repeat one thing for ya though. It's fine that ppl state that you shouldn't run as root. I'm not saying you shouldn't give warnings. What bothers me is that the question is not answered when the answer in known. Ppl just say "you shouldn't run as root>open a term>su to root>and run you apps from there". Answer the question and let root be root! "this is how you can login as root, BUT!... it really is not a good idea for many reasons and this is how you should do it IMO" Is that how it is done? Nope. Just.."don't do it". This is at least the 3rd thread I've had to answer the posters question because others thought they be M$ and not let root be root. Now, why was that deleted/moved?

 

Live Free Or Die!

 

I suppose this post will be edited as well though

I can't see anything that needs editing, but if you insist.......... :cheeky:

:lol:

 

:twisted: wrong....I forgot n't on shouldn't :lol2: so it was should run as root. :unsure:

Edited by bvc
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Guest anon

OK, some of the thread that was removed looks like a jumble to me. If cannon or i remove parts of it, the rest won't make much sense, so i doubt its worth putting back.

Just my opinion though, cannonfodder will be dealing with this, so address any problems to him.

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bvc: whether or not you think it's safe for -you- to run as root, it's not a good idea to tell new users to do it. They're the ones likely to do rm -rf / without realizing what would happen.

 

It's just not great advice to be giving out to newer users.

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bvc: whether or not you think it's safe for -you- to run as root, it's not a good idea to tell new users to do it. They're the ones likely to do rm -rf / without realizing what would happen.

 

It's just not great advice to be giving out to newer users.

:unsure:

I didn't tell anyone to do, or not do, anything, unlike others have. I just answered the question, because others did not.

:D

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