Password

[Derek Broughton]

Ruben Safir wrote:

> On Fri, Oct 03, 2008 at 09:07:13PM +0200, Nils Kassube wrote:
>> Ruben Safir wrote:
>> > Yes - grub can be set up to demand a root password in single user mode
>> > and as a matter of fact, debian distro's default to this setting and
>> > have done so for more years than I care to remember.
>> 
>> OK, that is possible but not the default. Therefore I wouldn't expect
>> this situation because the OP doesn't mention it.

> Ummm - that is not correct.

Ummm, yes it is.  If Debian itself puts a _grub_ password on single-user
mode, it's started to do that since Sarge - the last release I used.  In
any case, Ubuntu does NOT set a password for single-user login.  

> It is the best way to do it.  If you think its a bad idea then you don't
> understand gnu/linux.

No, editing /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow is a very bad idea, because it's too
easy to b0rk your entire system.  Even with decades of Unix experience, I
don't do that.
> 
>> Then you should have at least mentioned
>> that after doing that you would have to set a new password for root. Or
>> as a better alternative you should lock the root account again because
>> with Ubuntu we usually don't set a root password but have the account
>> locked instead.
> 
> yeah that frankly sucks and I undid that the second I installed it.

Yeah, well apparently you have less of a clue than you think you do.

>> I know some people prefer to have a root password, but
>> that is not the default and should not be expected.
>>
> Yeah, that is not so secure.  Do a google on the hacks that involve
> this.

Sorry, it's a great deal more secure.  Don't google - _learn_.

> I'll say this, I've learned to never give any advice on this list from my
> 20 years of expereince with Unix systems.

??
-- 
derek