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Mathieu Avoine wrote:
<blockquote
cite="midf14a149e0701100624g5cd925b9p5d0fab314122cdb5@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">Thanks for the addendum Peter. I don't know Don and/or
Mila's background in computers but I feel they may be uncomfortable
with the many "buzz words" and commands you used to explain the
security matters with Linux. Since other people on the list that are
very new to linux may be interested, I will add comments to some
details.
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
Thank you very much for your kind thoughts (especially the ""buzz
words"") in this regard... defending my situation. I have been
involved with computers for a lo-o-ong time, since the latter '70s.,
having grown up with MS-DOS,, then advancing to Windows,(trying to
learn how to make Windows do what I want, without causing me a LOT of
heart aches, losing all of my previous work, and starting all over
again! which is now a bit of a déja vu with Linux Xubuntu (this is the
fourth time I have to erase the OS and reload, due to my ignorance,
because I did not know the commands for (exiting) the program, thinking
as in Windowss, I did something which I cannot get out of) and, now
have two desktop machines, and have always been interested in learning
how to control and/or create my own programs, but did not '<u><i>have
the <big>time</big> or the "will" to do so</i></u>'. So, now I am
trying to do just that.<br>
<blockquote
cite="midf14a149e0701100624g5cd925b9p5d0fab314122cdb5@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">First I would suggest a (small) bit of reading in
Wikipedia where the command "su" and "sudo" are explained in slightly
simpler terms:<br>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_%2528Unix%2529">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_%28Unix%29</a><br>
<br>
Secondly, I think it is important to say that using a tighter security
model in our operating system helps us protect our system (from
potential intruders) by "layering" access to different kinds of
resources. In other words, it dramatically "slows down hackers",
considered that the so called hacker does not have the root password
for your machine, in which case your computer is wide open. However, it
does not prevent you from trashing important stuff and because of how
Ubuntu is configured by less experienced people (including me!), users
have the right to do "sudo" at will. In other words, it won't prevent
you from erasing your xorg configuration file, you'll just have to
enter "sudo" and your own password before you do.
<br>
<br>
Lastly, it is important to mention that Windows also has its own
security model which is much less restrictive but very similar (in some
ways) to linux: you can create administrator and user accounts, which
allows a simple security model for less experienced users. It also
offers advanced security options (that 99% of people don't use, either
because they don't know it exists or it's too complicated to
understand) that allows an administrator to put rather fine boundaries
to prevent other users from trashing the machine.
<br>
<br>
That's about it. Hope it helped you understand the differences between
windows and linux on this aspect.<br>
<br>
Math<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
BTW: In entering as a "new system", I entered as "oem". When do I
switched over from this to "Super User"?<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="midf14a149e0701100624g5cd925b9p5d0fab314122cdb5@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 1/10/07, <b
class="gmail_sendername">Peter Whittaker
</b> <<a href="mailto:pwwnow@gmail.com">pwwnow@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote"
style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">On
Mon, 2007-01-08 at 09:55 -0800, Don and/or Mila Trombley wrote:
<br>
> I am wondering if one can get into or load Xubuntu, as a new
system,<br>
> without having to put in a System administrator name, and
Password, for<br>
> now, considerring that I do not wish to put it on-line, until I
am
<br>
> fairly able to understand how the system works i.e. as an 'open'
root<br>
> w/o password, Then, later, Lock the System when I am ready to
connect it<br>
> to the Internet, or as a private network?<br>
<br>
Rather than being add-ons or after thoughts, passwords and permissions<br>
are an integral part of a Linux system: They *are* how things work.<br>
<br>
To really understand how to use and administer a modern Linux distro,
<br>
one really should work through sudo and su: Set up a user account,<br>
enable a root password, and do your thing. When you run into problems,<br>
one of the first questions to ask will be "what permissions are
required
<br>
to do this thing?" You will learn an awful lot working that way.<br>
<br>
This isn't pedagogy by repeatedly banging your head against the wall,<br>
it's getting used to working with an OS with a security model. It may
be
<br>
frustrating at first, but you'll be glad you did it that way in the end.<br>
<br>
One of the things that led to Windows dominating the world<br>
(<a href="https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1">https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1
</a>) is the lack of security model:<br>
Anyone could do anything at any time! This made is easy to get things<br>
done, since there were absolutely no impediments to adding, modifying or<br>
deleting files, adding or removing software, etc.
<br>
<br>
Wow, greased skids!<br>
<br>
Of course, that led to viruses, spyware, and a host of other problems:<br>
Since there was no security model, anyone could anything....<br>
<br>
The Linux (and Unix) model of restricted permissions protects us from
<br>
"the others" (at least to a certain extent).<br>
<br>
This model also protects us from ourselves! As a regular user, you<br>
cannot accidentally install something in the wrong place, accidentally<br>
delete the wrong thing, accidentally run the wrong thing, etc.
<br>
<br>
Running as root is the wrong thing to do, because it encourages bad<br>
habits: Rather than learning about Linux, a "run as root" user is<br>
treating their Linux box like a Windows box, and is going to destroy
<br>
something sooner or later.<br>
<br>
So set a root password, learn to use su and sudo (you'll need to visudo<br>
to set up sudoers to give yourself proper sudo permissions before you<br>
can usefully use sudo), and work within the model: It works.
<br>
<br>
Now here's your "snatch the pebble from my hand" puzzle: I want to<br>
append some file system information to /etc/fstab; why doesn't the<br>
following work when running as a regular user (albeit one with sudo
<br>
privileges)?<br>
<br>
$ sudo echo '/dev/hda3 /hda3 ext3 defaults 0 0' >> /etc/fstab<br>
$ sudo mount -a<br>
<br>
??? For bonus points, describe at least four other ways to do this, from<br>
the command line, only one of which uses an editor, and only one of
<br>
which uses su.<br>
<br>
Don't you love Linux? :-><br>
<br>
pww<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
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<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
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</blockquote>
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