Security.
Philippe Landau
lists at mailry.net
Fri Feb 11 14:29:59 UTC 2005
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
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