Kubuntu experience

[Brian Astill]

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 01:20, Peter Garrett wrote:
> On Sun, 2005-04-17 at 00:38 +0930, Brian Astill wrote:
> >[later] I see aptitude was installed and fortunately that does work
> >(though capriciously, it demands MY password, not root's).

> > > > http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/RootSudo

> the sections headed "Security"
>                     "Possible issues with the "sudo" model" and
>                     "Misconceptions"
>
> seem particularly pertinent.

So does "While there are various advantages and disadvantages to this 
approach, compared with the traditional superuser model, neither is 
clearly superior overall." from the same wiki.

> > I want to be able to log in as root and do a number of things at
> > the same "sitting".  eg setting up a network can be a real nuisance
> > if  you have to sudo all the time

> Quite so: that's why you can use -"sudo -s" to get a root shell

Which completely eliminates the purported advantage of " It avoids the 
"I can do anything" interactive login by default--you will be prompted 
for a password before major changes can happen, which should make you 
think about the consequences of what you are doing. If you were logged 
in as root, you could just delete some of those "useless folders" and 
not realize you were in the wrong directory until it's too late."

> "If you want a real root prompt you can always do "sudo su -."

see above.

> > In any case this is linux, not Redmond_OS.  I should not be denied
> > full access to my own system.

> It is Linux; you haven't been denied anything; and you will not be.

I'd like to believe you and sincerely hope you are correct.  BUT ...  
why can't I work in the standard way without sudo intervening?  What I 
can do as "sudo" is controlled by root - in this case the ubuntu 
designers.  If sudo as implemented by those designers denies me 
nothing, why not allow me the root login all the other unixen I know 
use as a matter of course?

-- 
Regards,
Brian