Trouble Logging In as Root

[Derek Broughton]

Mark Haney wrote:

> CLIFFORD ILKAY wrote:
> 
>>>
>>> Am I missing something really obvious here? How can setup my computer so
>>> that I can login as root? I have all my files backed up so if another
>>> fresh install is required that is certainly as possibility.
>> 
>> Ignore the advice to set a root password.
> 
> Okay, I came rather late to the party but I would like to say a couple
> of things here.  First and foremost.  NEVER leave root without a
> password.  PERIOD. 

As somebody else pointed out, it isn't strictly without a password.

> This is not only probably the biggest security hole 
> ever, it's just plain wrong.  Root is (in the phrasing of Ric Flair)
> 'THE MAN'.  It can do everything.  Anyone leaving root exposed runs a
> big risk.

Root is not exposed in a default Ubuntu system.

> I am aware of the fact that Ubuntu gives sudo access to virtually
> everything for the first user, but let's examine the possibilities here.
>   Let's say I compromise your system's primary user account. I can sudo
> into root, then lock everyone else out with a couple changes to sudo
> using visudo as well as edit the root passwd.  What do you do then?
> You're busted.  Period.  

Bull.  Period.  I boot off a liveCD, and fix it.  Let's say I compromise
your root account, because everybody who's ever had to do anything as root
has been sharing the password...

> There is no real recovery from that, because 
> even with a rescue CD you pretty much need to know the root passwd.

????  In a word, No.

> Personally, I also keep a root shell open pretty much all the time I'm
> on a system, just in case I do something stupid and lock myself out
> (like breaking an sshd config or something.)

LOL, and you're paranoid about security?
-- 
derek