no root passwd debian

[Colin McGregor]

--- Chris Aitken <chris-n/jUll39koHNgV/OU4+dkA at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> Jamon Camisso wrote:
> > On November 18, 2007 04:56:02 pm
> chris-n/jUll39koHNgV/OU4+dkA at public.gmane.org wrote:
> >   
> >> I just installed ubuntu. It never asked for a
> root password. It asked
> >> me to create a user but never a root password.
> Now I can't do
> >> administrative tasks without it.
> >>
> >> This is my first ever debian experience.
> >>
> >> !?
> >>     
> >
> > Two things:
> > 1) Ubuntu != Debian
> >   
> Does that mean "Debian /really/ equals ubuntu"?
> > 2) sudo passwd root, you'll then be able to use su
> to become root.
> Okay that did it - thanks.
> 
> > You 
> > can also use sudo -i now, without setting a root
> password, just use 
> > your regular user's password for sudo.
> >   
> I read the man page for sudo (really). I'm still
> confused. Is sudo for 
> doing administrative tasks without becoming root?

Basically yes. The traditional use for sudo was in
situations where an ordinary user might need to run
2-3 commands that use root privilege without giving
them the ability to run everything at root level. So
for example user Jane Jones might need to "mount" and
"umount" a USB hard drive on a system. With sudo Jane
Jones' user ID is put into the sudoers list, along
with permission to run "mount" and "umount" (while
blocking her access to other "dangerous" commands like
say mkfs). Now, one of the options with sudo is to
allow a user to run all commands (which then turns
sudo into just a reminder that the command you are
about to run is potentially toxic). Put another way
sudo is just one more option when it comes to tighten
down security.

> Chris
> > Jamon

Colin McGregor

--
The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://gtalug.org/
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists