Default policies & Default behaviour

[Vittorio Beggi]

Hallo everybody.
I have the need to setup a user with root privileges and no password.
The workstation will never be connected to a network of any kind, so 
security risks are ridicolous.
Trying to do so I lost a considerable amount of time and I admit that I 
am really unsatisfied.
Why? Because  I believe that a system MUST give  FULL control of 
hardware and working environment.
Even if aimed at unskilled people, in my belief, a system must give both 
a reasonable default protection and the way to override it or bypass, it 
when needed with a clear and esay way to do it.
Clear policies are the only way to acheive security when needed  and 
only the needed amount of security. No use to lock a feature  in a way 
that cannot be overrided or with such a cumbersome procedure as to make 
override almost impossible.
No use to hide overriding parameters in so deeply nested modules that 
too few geeks can tamper  with them.
People, I believe, love open source when they find clear and documented 
ways to acheive results. They don'l like to be treated as stupid 
children because they ask for tools to disassemble the toy. Bad fellows 
hide tools. The knowledge whose condivision has been a blessing to us 
all since the very first steps of GNU and FSF, must not be kept prisoner 
by hiding it to users.
Need examples ?
Please, give us back a clear way to setup a null password, to reset 
X-windows with "CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE", to customize gdm, to define 
defaults for a PDF printer, etc.

Best Regards.

-- 
Vittorio Beggi

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