Re: [PLUG] log as root or not ?

[Jesse Schultz <schultj@netaxs.com>]

gabriel rosenkoetter wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 02, 2002 at 07:47:55PM -0400, Jesse P Schultz wrote:
>
> > One should only use root when doing root stuff.  Making a habit of 
> > logging in as a regular user then changing to rot is a venerable best 
> > practice for admins
>
>
> I think the main disconnect between what Christophe and I are
> suggesting and what's being argued against it is that the second
> sentence there does NOT follow logically from the first.

Since I freely admit to being uneducated, you are free to be critical of 
my sentance structure.  I can't see what your talking about but I am 
sure it is because of my bad grammer.


> It is *easy* to make yourself aware that a given terminal is a root
> shell (by putting the user in the prompt, by the ancient practice of
> having root's prompt be a # rather than a $ or a %, by--my own
> prefernce--having any xterm which contains a root shell be colored
> red). Don't use that terminal unless you actually need to. (This is,
> perhaps, easier with X than without, but I've done it plenty within
> screen too.)

On the other hand, having been an admin on Linux, Unix, NT and Novell 
systems for the last decade, I can tell you that the changed prompts and 
colored lights arent always there depending on the client, server, OS or 
NOS you are using and who configured it.

Habits, can span all OS and configuration.  Making a Habit of being very 
stingy with root, administrator, superuser has served me well and helped 
me to carry out the most important responsibility of any admin.

Don't Lose The Data.

ANY book or guide on Administration for any operating system you care to 
read including linux will reccomend using root sparingly and not logging 
in as root but rather changing to root for special tasks if that is 
possible.  Some even recommend no root login what so ever but just using 
sudo (a whole other can of worms which is dangerous if not used right).





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