DebianThis forum is for the discussion of Debian Linux.
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
Hello all... I just installed Debian 6 on a server and when the server powers up, it shows me all the accounts I created in order for me to choose and login under an account, except for the root account. At the colo where the server is going, they need the root account at the login screen. Thanks
This is the xwindows login? You should never run x as root. If you need to run graphical tools as root you should sudo or su to root from a normal account.
This is the xwindows login? You should never run x as root. If you need to run graphical tools as root you should sudo or su to root from a normal account.
Don't think I'm hijacking thread by asking: Does this mean that one should not become root when inside X - X having been started as an ordinary user? You know, it is always encouraging you to give the root password, to install updates for instance, and it always worries me.
Yep i know, but the colo network admins demand that there may be a way for them to log in as root if they need to. They are used to CentOS and are not used to Debian. Thanks
well then they should flip to a virtual console and log in there. If these "admins" need a gui then they are big girls blouses. Mind you I've no idea what this login screen looks like, can you not just type the name in?
Don't think I'm hijacking thread by asking: Does this mean that one should not become root when inside X - X having been started as an ordinary user? You know, it is always encouraging you to give the root password, to install updates for instance, and it always worries me.
no, the Xwindows server processes are not running as root that way, that's the point. In terms of installing updates, I'd generally do that via sudo, so never use the root password. Various gnome gui tools and things tend to use root though if that's what you mean.
Debian (or Gnome) disabled it by design. You can fix it in the config files, but you lose a lot of security and the option to find out who issued "rm -rf /" as root if it is enabled. Your colo poeple, as professionals, should know how and why to use sudo.
There is no need to use sudo... open a terminal emulator:
Code:
su
command1
command2
command3
exit
Code:
su -c 'command'
Code:
gksu command
Code:
gksu command &
If you need to log in to an x session as root though, you're doing something wrong. I'll skip the lecture as to why it's such a bad idea - but there is simply no need for it.
There is no "need" for sudo - it's simply down to preference.
If say I want to set up my normal user to shutdown from a window manager (only one example) - there is a "need" for sudo (i.e. nothing else would do the job as simply and efficiently) and that's where it absolutely shines.
well then they should flip to a virtual console and log in there. If these "admins" need a gui then they are big girls blouses. Mind you I've no idea what this login screen looks like, can you not just type the name in?
I can only second that. If those people really need to log in as root to a graphical session you should change your "admins", not the system.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.