i want to create a user account with all the same properties as root, but without being root... how can i do this?

What do you mean, you need something like administror account? you can do so by creating administrator with uid=0, man adduser, but the best way to do it is to setup sudo, for more details search here for sudo, sudoers.

no no... not an admin account, an account that has the same settings for all the programs on the machine, but without all the privlages.

Can you throw some example, 'cause I have a hard time understanding what exactly you are after?

sorry, i'll try to elaborate. i have an account that i woild like to duplicate minus the privilages. like if, in another account, i started the x enviroment, the wallpaper, folder settings desktop etc. would all be the same as the original account. the same with other programs as well, like nautilus or eterm, etc.

So you want root access...

***NOT FOR ANYONE WHO DOESN'T WANT THEIR SYSTEM COMPROMISED, etc ***

Ok now that I have placed the disclaimer (which really should be noted), onto one way...

Create a normal user, however your heart desires, useradd, whatever.

After, open /etc/passwd (as root) and change the UID to 0 of the newly created user. I believe UID is the first number, maybe something like 1001 (someone correct me if I'm wrong on this part). Now save the file, and smile. You now have root priviledges/access on a user account.

Really you shouldn't do this on a system that you have connected to anything, or have any chance of anyone using other than yourself. It's REALLY not a good idea to do this.

Cool

If you just want to have the same settings, you can just copy (as root) /root contents to new user's home directory and change owner to the new user. Of course, when you change anything they won't be the same anymore.

If you do this, when you change owner, use this:
chown -R /directory/and/its/subdirectories

The -R option will go into each subdirectory and change ownership of it as well, helping you out later on.

Cool

ah, ok, thank you for all the help

well, it was a good idea, but it didn't work... with the new user i still have the default desktop in gnome, nautilus, etc. why didn't it work?

Create a file /etc/skel/.initrc
containing the line
exec /path/to/your/fav/wm
now when you call
useradd
include -k /etc/skel

useradd -m -k /etc/skel username
passwd username

that will work for sawfish, but what about everything else?

What do you mean? it will work for everything else as well, as long as /path/to/your/another/favorite/wm is correct.

you can include another apps that should start upon entering X in the same file just before the exec /path/...
gkrellm &
other_goop&
exec /path/to/your/favorite/another/favorite/whatever/favorite/wm
#exec /path/to/your/favorite/another/favorite/whatever/favorite/wm
#exec /path/to/your/favorite/another/favorite/whatever/favorite/wm

well, it didn't work... i did it with sawfish to test it out, but to no avail...