Password question.

[Steven Vollom]

Eberhard Roloff wrote:
> Steven Vollom wrote:
>   
>> Eberhard Roloff wrote:
>>     
>>> Steven Vollom 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
>>>>
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> Hi Steven,
>>>
>>> Well, I cannot answer this. There are numerous discussions around 
>>> whether the Ubuntu way is more secure or not than "the other way round", 
>>> which is, just for example, the SuSe or Red Hat way.
>>>
>>> Although I surely have my own opinion about this, I will not divulge it, 
>>> there are to many flames around. ;-)
>>>
>>> What are the differences?
>>>
>>> Now you are just doing sudo fsck /dev/sda1
>>> alternatively when you need to be root for any length of time, you will do:
>>> sudo -i
>>> Password
>>>
>>> With a separate root account, it is similar but not at all identical.
>>> For example, sudo "something" will no longer work (except if you go and 
>>> configure it) and you will most likely use "su -" to become root and 
>>> then "exit" or "Ctrl+D" to exit root.
>>>
>>> Furthermore, I think you REALLY might prefer to use a strong root 
>>> password and a weaker user password, since it is root where a 
>>> compromised security will have potentially disastrous consequences.
>>>
>>> Again, if you are familiar with the Ubnutu way, I would strongly 
>>> recommend to leave it at that.
>>>
>>> If you insist to have a separate password for root, you might google this:
>>> http://www.ubuntux.org/how-to-change-the-root-password-in-ubuntu
>>>
>>> Kind regards
>>> Eberhard
>>>   
>>>       
>> Dear Eberhard,
>>
>> I know you understand my limitations; I am old, inexperienced, and do 
>> not know all the ramifications of what I ask.  Nonetheless, until 
>> someone can convince me that I can lose more than the OS and some data, 
>> I am willing to chance that, in favor of the great benefit it will serve 
>> me.  I don't think my advisers here in the forum believe I will ever use 
>> the safer Shell.  I think they believe I will just stay in Root.  I also 
>> believe that they probably have their computers set up to work much the 
>> same as I want mine, for ease of operation, unless they are subject to 
>> security issues which I am not.
>>
>> Now I want to be sure I understand.  I can retain a logged in and 
>> password protected  sudo shell, and still have a more safe [not password 
>> protected] Shell to work from.  _I do not want to be in Root all the 
>> time_.  _I just want to be able to enter that security without have to 
>> type it in more than once per session_.  I don't feel that I am mistake 
>> proof, if I stay in Root all the time.  I believe _I am 100% safe with 
>> an already logged in Root Shell, if I can work from a secured shell, and 
>> when all I need to do is click on the Session menu item in the shell 
>> program and open Root Shell and already be logged in._  The contrast of 
>> their appearance will always be a reminder that I am on dangerous 
>> ground, and I will be careful.  I have to do that and be careful when I 
>> get sudo privileges anyway, don't I?
>>
>> _I DO NOT want to change to a root password, if I cannot have a safer 
>> shell to work from_.  It is important.  I am always a little stressed 
>> when I enter a root command.  I am certain before I press the enter 
>> key.  Please respond one more time to confirm that I can do what I want 
>> to do and still have a safer Shell to work from.  With gratitude.  And 
>> lastly, I promise that if my decision is foolish, and I screw up, I will 
>> post the truth and eat the necessary crow, so that the forum can prosper 
>> from loss.  I actually believe that it is only appropriate as a solution 
>> for people with a similar problem, or for those who have an equally 
>> important reason for doing it.
>>
>> The feature I am struggling to get back is one I regretted losing, when 
>> I upgraded from Feisty to Gutsy.  That feature helped me a lot.  And I 
>> used it the way I described.  _Please answer, I won't go to that website 
>> if you don't.
>> _
>> Steven
>>     
>>>   
>>>       
>>     
> ok. Back to square one. What I understand:
> You want to have a root shell always open to accept root commands.
>
> This is somewhat different from what I originally understood, i.e. you 
> want a root user with a different password.
>
> Now:
> Given that there are a multitude of possibilities, only two come to my mind:
>
> 1.
> You can have a root shell, opened once and open all the time until you 
> log out without any change to the system.
>
> Simply open a shell of your choice at startup and then issue the command
> "sudo -i" without the quotes
>
> After giving your password this shell will be open until you close it.
>
>
> 2.
>
> If you want to have a seperate user password for root AND have a 
> permanently open root shell, then go to the webpage I googled for you, 
> follow the very easy instructions there, and finally change root's 
> password to something that you like.
>
> Then after your system starts up, you open a shell or a KDE rootshell, 
> enter your password (in the KDE rootshell) or issue the command:
> "su -" (in the regular user shell). After giving your newly created root 
> password, this shell will remain open as long as you do not close it.
>
> Hopefully I now covered what you are needing.
>
> If not, I am sorry
>
> Kind regards
> Eberhard
>
>
>   
Eberhard, you have me in a belly laugh.  This has been so fun.  I truly 
want to hug you.  Everyone I know gets a hug when I see them.  It is 
just the way I am for those I love.

To be sure I have the correct choice, because I do have concerns that I 
could make a serious mistake.  I would like to type in my 37 digit 
password to open the operating system when I boot up.  In the Shell 
dropdown, I would like to have at least two choices.  Choice one, Shell 
steven at Studio25:~$ for my work, and steven at Studio25:~# for Root 
changes.  Mostly I will be working in a shell with white print over a 
black backgroung.  When I open the Root Shell, it will be Black print on 
a white background, glaringly different.  I won't even have to think 
when I open it, it will, by it's colors be a reminder, because you don't 
open Root very often.  And I only want to open it once a day.

Eberhard, it seems if the web site instruction allows what I want it 
would actually be better than keeping an active Root Shell on my 
drop-down links, but only because I will probably open it unnecessarily 
some times.  The other way, it is tucked inside an Icon that provides 
the two options.  By the way, I am still laughing.  This has been so 
fun, and funny to me.  If I have this right, the way I described, Thank 
You!!!!

Cheers! Ciao, and Cordially,

Steven