<div>On 1/9/07, Jeffrey F. Bloss <<a href="mailto:jbloss@tampabay.rr.com">jbloss@tampabay.rr.com</a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> User Iam wrote: > On 1/9/07, Peter Garrett <<a href="mailto:peter.garrett@optusnet.com.au">peter.garrett@optusnet.com.au</a>> wrote: > > > > On Tue, 09 Jan 2007 02:47:57 -0600 > > mtyoung < <a href="mailto:tuxman@knology.net">tuxman@knology.net</a>> wrote: > > > > > I really don't understand why so many people think that logging > > > in as > > root when needed is such a bad thing, although I can certainly see > > a better way to accomplish what I needed to do. See my other post > > "Vote for new Ubuntu Feature---Let's try it again". > > It is not a bad thing.... It's a bad practice. If nothing unexpected happens it's neither a good nor bad "thing", but logging in as root increases the chances that bad things can happen considerably. If there's no pressing reason to do so, plain vanilla common sense dictates it's something you should avoid. > > I have been doing it for the past 15 years... I've been driving a car for a lot longer than that and haven't been killed in an auto accident either. The only thing that means is statistically I'm more due for a flaming exit than I was 30-some odd years ago. > > su to root when you have things to do.. No. Use sudo or it's *sudo graphical cousins when you have "things to do". Su to root only when there's no other way. Those scenarios do exist, but they're so few and far between I'd wager the average user will never be in one. > > I never log into a root gui... > > Only use root at the CLI.. For some people I'd wager this is even worse than logging into a full blown GUI as root. Especially converts who might be use to doing things 100% graphically. It's the difference between handing someone a gun they're familiar and practiced with, and one they're not. They're far more likely to come away with self inflicted holes while flailing about in unknown waters with a loaded weapon. > And yes, root is a name that hackers can attempt to exploit.. > That is what good passwords are for... A password that does not exist is *impossible* to crack. I use exceptionally long "random pronounceable" phrases strategically salted with numbers and symbols everywhere possible. My pass phrases are quite literally stronger than the underlying encryption they guard in some cases. It's still not as secure as simply locking or never enabling the root password in the first place...</blockquote><div> And I agree And I will continue to use root when ever I need/want to. It is a FREE country..or so they say. <hehe> User Iam </div> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">-- _?_ Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. (o o) Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -oOO-(_)--OOo-------------------------------[ Groucho Marx ]-- grok! Registered Linux user #402208 -- ubuntu-users mailing list <a href="mailto:ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com">ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com</a> Modify settings or unsubscribe at: <a href="https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users"> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users</a> </blockquote></div>