Choosing a distribution

[Tony Arnold]

Chris,

Chris G wrote:

> So what does Ubuntu Server give me (or lose me) that the other Ubuntus
> don't?

I'm not sure what extra it gives you, but it is missing the desktop
stuff. Which you can add if you like!.

> OK, that's the usual way of doing it, I just wante to make sure I
> wasn't locked into a particular window mananger.

Linux tends not to lock you into anything:-)

>> There is no difference between doing su and supplying the root password
>> and type sudo -i and supplying your own password, so I've never
>> understood the big deal that is made of this.
>>
> There is, once you've become root you can issue lots of commands as
> root rather than prefixing everything you do with sudo.

That's why I said 'sudo -i' which puts you into a rooted shell just as
su does, but it uses your password, not the root password. And it only
allows those users authorised to do so.

> I guess it's just habit, having been a Unix user since the 1980s I
> find the 'old fashioned' way of becoming root more comfortable.  :-)

Me too, but I got used to sudo and quite like it and I know my root
account cannot be hacked by password guessing etc. But you have the choice.

Regards,
Tony.
-- 
Tony Arnold, IT Security Coordinator, University of Manchester,
IT Services Division, Kilburn Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL.
T: +44 (0)161 275 6093, F: +44 (0)870 136 1004, M: +44 (0)773 330 0039
E: tony.arnold at manchester.ac.uk, H: http://www.man.ac.uk/Tony.Arnold