Auto-login as root?

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 26 Mar 2007, 12:18

How do I automatically log in as root in SUSE Linux 10.1??

root is not listed under the available users for which I can enable auto log-in.

I have to manually enter the user name root, and my password to log in as root.

Thanks.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 26 Mar 2007, 13:31

There is a reason for that.

It's not safe for newbies to login as root because there is a very good chance they'll break something, and allowing root to auto login would be a security flaw and is thus not allowed.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 26 Mar 2007, 13:38

Thanks, viceroy.

The reason I wanted this feature, is that I want complete access to all folders.

I also hate being prompted for root password!!

I don't wanna use a root console session to do what I want - I want a GUI with full access!!

PS: It's highly unlikely I'll break anything

Thanks!!

SBSP · Post by **SBSP** » 27 Mar 2007, 15:52

shiv wrote:Thanks, viceroy.

The reason I wanted this feature, is that I want complete access to all folders.

I also hate being prompted for root password!!

I don't wanna use a root console session to do what I want - I want a GUI with full access!!

PS: It's highly unlikely I'll break anything

Thanks!!

Dont be so sure one day at work i was prompted by a linux bash that i dont have permissions on speciffic folders and i am root so i thought WTF i got tired of chmod 777 on all the directories so i did a recrusive chmod 777 /*.* -R

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 27 Mar 2007, 15:59

LOL.

Yeah, when I first started working, there was a at work who kinda knew a bit about linux and he broke something and the senior techy was getting really fed up of always being asked what to do, so led him on a merry chase and managed to sneak in a rm -r from root.

Judas · Post by **Judas** » 27 Mar 2007, 16:10

Ah, I remember the last time I said I wouldn't break anything... It was right before I accidentally ran 'rm -Rf /'. That taught me to only log in as root when it's absolutely necessary!

Post by **Cameron_Losco** » 27 Mar 2007, 18:52

Funny how we all know that we shouldn't log in as root but we all knew better and did. The outcome, a “broken” box.

Don't log in as root unless you really have to.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Mar 2007, 07:59

The only reason I'm using Linux is because my university's computer science lans have it installed - I use Linux for my prac sessions.

For the past 2 years I've done Java - I could install the Eclipse IDE on my Windows PC at home and use it without a problem.

This year however, I'm doing C++, using both Eclipse and gcc, so I have to have Linux installed on my PC.

I'm not gonna use a console much, and I'm not gonna change settings I don't know about, so there's no harm for me logging in as root.
Anyway, if I break Linux, I'll have to reinstall it!!

Once my studies are over, I'll probably give Linux the boot!!

Post by **Ron2K** » 28 Mar 2007, 08:13

shiv wrote:I'm not gonna use a console much, and I'm not gonna change settings I don't know about, so there's no harm for me logging in as root.

That's still not a good enough reason for wanting to login as root all the time. It's quite possible to do dev work on Linux while being logged in as a normal user; I compile stuff from source all the time without being a root user, so it's easy to do.

Only login as root if you need to change system settings. In all other cases, there is no reason to be root.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Mar 2007, 08:25

I downloaded Firefox 2.0.0.3 a few days ago.
I tried extracting the contents of the tar.gz file to /usr/lib/firefox, but I got access denied messages.
I used a console (became root), and the extraction worked.
However, Firefox refuses to start, for some reason.
I logged in as root, extracted the archive again, using the GUI, not console, and then Firefox ran perfectly!!
I dunno, but I think SUSE is somehow faster as root on my PC!!

Why is Linux so unnecessarily complex??

Soap · Post by **Soap** » 06 Apr 2007, 14:37

You can enable sudo to not prompt for a password, which isn't too hard. Just uncomment

# %wheel ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

in /etc/sudoers and everything should be set. Off course you have to be in the wheel group.

Nomadic_Imaginations · Post by **Nomadic_Imaginations** » 11 Apr 2007, 01:40

Talking about breaking a box. I had a problem the other day with suse 10.1. I couldn't get my 3D drivers to work so i went to the manufacturers website to get more info. Luckily I wasn't the only one with this problem so I found a solution to my problem within minutes. I did everything they said I should do according to their instructions. At the end of the page they said i should make changes to a .inf file under /etc/X11. I got a access denied message. i then decided to go into root out of desperation and changed the file exactly the way they said I should. I restarted my machine and you guessed it, I had a broken box!

STAY OUT OF ROOT!!

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 02 Apr 2008, 14:47

Well PCLinuxOS allows me to autologin as root.
Yay!!!

Vampyre_2099 · Post by **Vampyre_2099** » 02 Apr 2008, 16:21

We won't label you as an id10t, we'll just remove the warning labels... LOL

As you can see, anyone who knows linux knows that root is dangerous. It's WAY more powerful than Windows "Administrator" could ever be. We're saying from past experiences that its a hell of a lot easier to mess things up while in root. You think "oh I'm not going to change settings", well when a program prompts you to compile it then says that *some file* needs to be changed, you go ahead and change it. Needless to say, your pc won't boot anymore... oops, guess you could say we told you so.

We not being mean, we're trying to show you that there are some things you just have to bare with in Linux, typing your root password repetitively is one of them. Although I'm sure you can find a file some where that allows you to change roots password to blank, IE when you need to do something you type

Code: Select all

su

and your using root without a password.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 02 Apr 2008, 16:31

Well if you read "The Great Linux vs Windows Debate Part 2" (no, I'm not giving you the link ;-0), you would know that I don't do the command line or compiling of programs, or any nutty stuff.
I use the GUI!!!

Anyway, I'm a noob, yes I said it!!!
I try Linux once in a while, just to see what's new, but that's it.
Ubuntu 8 sounds interesting, but it most likely will still have that dull software bundle...

AlphA · Post by **AlphA** » 02 Apr 2008, 18:04

shiv wrote: Why is Linux so unnecessarily complex??

Linux is a multi-user OS. Permissions are really important in remote, multi-user environments. One day when you work in a big corporate running some flavour of *nix, you will understand and appreciate the "complexities".

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » 02 Apr 2008, 19:30

Logging in as root is fun. You can run all the nice commands like echo "123" > /dev/hda or cat /dev/hda > /dev/mem

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 03 Apr 2008, 10:14

@AlphA:

I'm generally in favor of usability over security.
Yes, in big corporate environments, security is important, that's were Linux shines.

@Nuke:
LOL ya, there's this command that involves /dev/mem (can't remember), when executed, Linux crashes, the whole system freezes...

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » 03 Apr 2008, 10:25

echo "123" > /dev/hda will write 123 to the first sectors of your hdd, killing your bootloader/mbr(not sure witch one). Reinstall FTW.

cat /dev/hda > /dev/mem will dump you hdd to your Ram, crashing it solidly. Reset button FTW. It works well on servers without someone near. Its even better to use in when you did a echo "123" > /dev/hda first

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 03 Apr 2008, 10:29

@ Nuke:

Sounds fun.....

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » 03 Apr 2008, 10:38

Oh and btw, echo xxxxxxxx > /dev/pts/0 can be funny when someone else is SSHed into the box. Someone not knowing may be shocked is the CLI tells him he's a Sh1thead or something. You just tail -f /dev/mem > /dev/pts/0 too.

BTW I'm not responsible if you make the boss angry

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 03 Apr 2008, 10:40

OK now you're confusing me here.... LOL

Vampyre_2099 · Post by **Vampyre_2099** » 03 Apr 2008, 11:22

@ Nuke: You're one sadistic little CLI wizard.... lol, I could learn a lot, he he he

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » 03 Apr 2008, 11:52

Naa I'm still far from a CLI wizard. I just enjoy playing with linux from the CLI. But with fiddling you will crash it half of the time

Vampyre_2099 · Post by **Vampyre_2099** » 03 Apr 2008, 12:29

true, true

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Auto-login as root?

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