the power of being root

Karl kaha at colug.org
Thu May 19 04:03:32 UTC 2005


You understand correctly; to be root is to don the hat of power. You can
access and alter any file, you can do anything at all on the system. You
can even totally and hopelessly fubar the system, and that is very easy
to do. Trust me.  :)


On Tue, 2005-05-17 at 02:28 +0700, sn00bb0rn.linux gmail wrote:
> Dear all,
> 
> I am a newbie. I play with linux CLI now (using chmod and chown).
> It seems to me that if I am using su -as root- I can use all directories 
> and files that I -by my own setting- not allowed. For instance I have 
> set chown 700 to some files and folder as a normal user. I think it will 
> prevent anyone else using it (even root). But when as root I can still 
> read the content of thet file.
> My question is, is that a normal in *nix world ? I imagine how powerfull 
> an computer administrator of a company will be. He can read *all 
> sensitive data* that beyond his level. Please tell me, and point me 
> where my understanding of this matter that was wrong. Sorry for the 
> unproper English.
> 
> Thank you very much in advance.
> 
-- 
         .       .        Avoid the Gates of Hell...
     |< /-\ (-) /-\         --=< GNU/Linux >=--
                         Free Software for Free Minds






More information about the ubuntu-users mailing list