Password question.

[Steven Vollom]

Knapp wrote:
> On Sun, Nov 23, 2008 at 10:31 PM, Steven Vollom
> <stevenvollom at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>   
>> Eberhard Roloff wrote:
>>     
>>> Steven Vollom wrote:
>>>
>>>       
>>>> I would like to set a password that allows me to enter my system that is
>>>> very secure, however, when I am in the system, I would like to have a
>>>> very simple password to enter root, perhaps as small as a couple of
>>>> letters.  Is this possible?
>>>>
>>>> Steven
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> With Linux, genarally anything is possible.;-)
>>>
>>> While this is possible, I would not advise to implent it. The Ubuntu
>>> concept of the first  user i.e. the admin user is that you use a rather
>>> secure password to login and then use the same to "su" to root, as needed.
>>>
>>> You can alter this and there are howtos to separate root to use its own
>>> password.
>>>
>>> It's actually quite simple but I would not advise you to do it since you
>>> are already familiar with the "Ubuntu way" of doing things. This is
>>> because, when you do it, your system will behave differently afterwards
>>> and you will need to treat it differently.
>>>
>>> Kind regards
>>> Eberhard
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> Sorry I wasn't paying adequate attention to what you just wrote.  I was
>> already thinking of possible reasons for avoiding this.  How does it
>> change my system?  What change in behavior would be anticipated?  In my
>> situation, is it more insecure?  TIA, friend.
>>
>> Steven
>>     
> Your system has a file:
> /etc/sudoers
>
> If you add this line to it, then you can change how long you stay
> signed into sudo. The default is 5 min. I am sure you have seen how
> sudo only asks for a password after you have stopped using it for a
> bit. I think this is the right command to make that 300 min (5 hours)
> but please wait to make sure someone else agrees with me!
>
> Defaults timestamp_timeout=300
>
>
>
>
>
> >From sudoers man page:
> timestamp_timeout
>
> Number of minutes that can elapse before sudo will ask for a passwd
> again. The default is 5. Set this to 0 to always prompt for a
> password. If set to a value less than 0 the user's timestamp will
> never expire. This can be used to allow users to create or delete
> their own timestamps via sudo -v and sudo -k respectively.
>   
Let me see if I understand what you are suggesting.  When I find this 
place to set its value, if I set the value at, let's say, -1, the system 
will stay in root until I shut down the system and only reappear when I 
boot again?  I could still work from a shell, but when wanting to work 
in Root, I could click on a Root Shell and it would be password-entered 
when I did?

I don't yet understand the purpose of timestamps via sudo -v and sudo -k 
respectively.  Since you have read my situation, is this relevant to my 
need?  It is my impression that passwords are basically to make a 
computer safe from hacker entry and from busy-eyes.  Since I am alone, 
the only concern I see for me is my laptop, because I never have anyone 
in my home that I don't completely trust when I am on the computer.  If 
the Water Meter reader came in to read the meter, I would simply stop 
working and attend to them, safe and secure.  Most is for business 
related security, isn't it?  Thanks!

Steven
>
>