Choosing a distribution

[Chris G]

On Mon, Nov 05, 2007 at 03:40:01PM -0500, Rashkae wrote:
> Chris G wrote:
> 
> >>
> > Er, but why would it be easier to hack the root password?  (Unless
> > you're saying that a hacker knows there's a root account but not your
> > one)
> > 
> 
> Ubuntu's default install with no root password just means that the 
> installer needs to ask one less question.  So when noobs install the 
> system, you don't have to confuse them with Enter your user name and 
> password, now enter *another* password for the root account. This way, 
> people don't get confused and start logging on as root. There's also 
> something to be said for the command logging, but once people start 
> using sudo -i, that doesn't accomplish much anymore.
> 
> It's a good system, but the religious fervor with which Ubuntu peeps try 
> to deflect you from enabling the traditional root account baffles me. 
> Here's what none of them will tell you.  If you want your old fashioned 
> root account, type 'sudo passwd root'
> 
> Note that all of Ubuntu's system administration GUI tools, including the 
> KDE stuff, have been patched to use sudo isntead of su, so you still 
> need to use the the user account password for those to work, and you 
> still need to keep sudo in a working state (user has to be member of 
> admin group, and or the /etc/sudoers has to allow you super user access 
> somehow)
> 
That last bit puts a negative mark against ubuntu for me, I much
prefer distributions that don't modify applications, it's one of the
great things about Slackware, just about everthing is completely
standard and unmodified.

-- 
Chris Green