Another reason to prefer a real root over sudo

[Loïc Grenié]

2009/2/2 Chris G <cl at isbd.net>:
> I have just discovered another reason why I don't like sudo.
>
> I have just installed xubuntu 8.10 on my wife's machine (to replace XP).
> It has accounts for me and her and the children.  My account has sudo
> privileges.
>
> When I want to install something I have to log out the current user
> (if it's not me) then log in as me, then I can run synaptic.  If it
> had a root account I could simply run synaptic and give the root
> password.

     You can log-in as you without logging out the current user.
  You can use ssh from the command-line
  (ssh -t -l me localhost sudo synaptic) if you have installed
  openssh-server.

> OK, it's not a disaster and there are several ways around the issue, I
> could give my wife's account sudo privileges or I could use apt-get from
> the command line (having changed user to me).  However none of them is
> particularly covenient and it's a pain if I want to install something
> to fix an immediate 'on screen' problem.

     It's simple enough to add a script that does the

xterm -e "ssh -t -l me localhost gksudo synaptic"

 and put it in the "standard" menus. You'll have the xterm hanging
 around until synaptic is closed.

    There are without any doubt (much) better solutions. Hope this
  helps save a little frustration,

          Loïc