[ubuntu-uk] Difference between Admin and Root?

[Paul Sladen]

On Mon, 22 Oct 2007, Mac wrote:

Hello Mac,

Interesting coincidence with the name:  Apple's _Mac_ OSX also uses sudo!

> Would it be possible / wise (for reasons of security) to remove the 
> admin rights of the first user on the system

Before the first time 'sudo' is used on an Ubuntu system, a message may have
popped up with a link to the 'RootSudo' page:

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

which covers many of the issues.  When 'sudo' is asked to perform a
privileged command it checks for two things:

  Authenication:   is the user who they say they are? (a password check).
  Authorisation:   is the user allowed to? (in 'admin' group).  [0]

You can tick and untick which users are allowed to run privileged commands,
by adding or removing them from the special 'admin' group, in:

  System->Administration->Users and Groups

The first user on the system is automatically added to the 'admin' group, as
otherwise it would be difficult to configure anything or setup more users!

Hope that helps, and welcome!

	-Paul

[0] When you got to a bank and ask for 10,000GBP the bank will do similar
checks: (a) compare your signature against the one on record, (b) ensure
that you are listed on the account the money is being taken from.
-- 
Why do one side of a triangle when you can do all three.   Helsinki, FI