Security.

[Philippe Landau]

Keith Powell wrote:
> I have been trying Ubuntu for the past week and like it! However, I have 
> a question about its apparent lack of security, which I hope isn't too 
> "Ubuntu Newbie-ish" and inflammatory.
> 
> As installed, my user password is also my root password. Does this not 
> mean that if anyone found out my user password, they could also get 
> into the system as root and so do what they liked with it? With the 
> other Linux distros I have used, one needs a separate root password, so 
> making it much harder for others to do any damage. Sorry, but to me 
> this smacks of the pre-XP Windows wide-openness.
> 
> I see from the Unofficial Ubuntu Guide, that it is possible to set up a 
> separate root password. Shouldn't this be the default and set up on 
> installation?
> 
> There must be many, many, others who have simply installed Ubuntu and 
> who will be in this situation.
> 
> I am not trying to be abusive in any way about Ubuntu, but am wondering 
> what the reason for this "no root password" is.
> 
> If anyone could either explain the reason, or point me to where to find 
> it, I would be grateful.   

it's widely considered to be more secure to have no root account.
apple's mac os x is setup this way for this reason too.
if you want to have two separate passwords,
the best could be to create a user just for administration,
and withdraw special privileges from your working account.
you are not inflamatory, i like people telling the truth :-)

kind regards     philippe