[ubuntu-uk] Sudo (was: Root password)

[Paul Sladen]

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On Fri, 11 Aug 2006, Matthew Saunders wrote:
> On 11/08/06, akinola.oke at swisstopo.ch <akinola.oke at swisstopo.ch> wrote:

Hello Topokin,

Ubuntu, like other modern operating systems (such as Mac OSX), uses 'sudo'
for performing privileged ("root") tasks, when required, and when the user
as identified that they are who they say they are:

  $ sudo apt-get update
  Password: <enter *your* password>

This has many advantages, you can read about them by doing:

  $ man sudo_root

Or on the main site at:

  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo

To help people who may have transferred from legacy Unix-style Operating
Systems, this information is display every time that somebody opens a
terminal and hasn't already successfully used 'sudo':

  To run a command as administrator (user "root"), use "sudo <command>".
  See "man sudo_root" for details.
  you at yourmachine:~$

> type: sudo su
> If you want to enable the root account,

Matthew:  Please do not encourage new users to use either of these commands.  
Doing so will break '(recovery mode)' and cause greater support hassle later
on.  Your suggestion encourages bad security practice, as there are no audit
trails, no locking and an open non-time-limited root shell is left behind.

You are feel to do it on your own machines, but when asked for support
please teach people about how to use 'sudo' and help them to understand so
that we don't end up breaking the security model.

	-Paul
- -- 
High on a tall bridge, surrounded by noisy lorries.  Southampton, GB


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