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-   -   how can i change the root name (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/how-can-i-change-the-root-name-61577/)

rinux 05-24-2003 12:46 PM

how can i change the root name
 
:newbie:

how can i change the root name so that i login with something else than root ????? (i.e. i have another user name )

and how can i know the packages needed to run a certain service ??!!
:newbie:
:Pengy:

manthram 05-24-2003 01:00 PM

edit the /etc/passwd file


it is really a very bad idea to change root name:rolleyes:

acid_kewpie 05-24-2003 01:10 PM

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...root+obscurity

please use the search facilities on this site more readily, they will frequently get you a quicker answer.

the answer being... DO NOT CHANGE IT!

acid_kewpie 05-24-2003 01:11 PM

also
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...root+obscurity

masand 05-24-2003 01:30 PM

it would be a better idesa to make a diff user in the group root
whether u can rename root i do not think u can do it

MasterC 05-24-2003 02:30 PM

You can that's not a problem, the problem is you shouldn't. And no, you shouldn't make another user in group root either, that's nearly as bad of an idea as changing root's name. If you want to login with a username, create a user. If you are frustrated because that user cannot do everything root can, realize how secure you are now.

Cool

kazuni 05-24-2003 10:41 PM

i gues he might be influenced by the windoze operating systems and wished to change it to Administrator or something like that :) just kiddin' ;)

Wynd 05-24-2003 10:50 PM

I read somewhere that having another root user is a good idea, since if you use that user and you see something running as 'root' then you can almost be sure it's a hacking attempt. Any truth to that?

KDE4me 05-24-2003 11:15 PM

enter vipw at the terminal and change the /etc/passwd /etc/shadow as root.
Happy camping!

MasterC 05-25-2003 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wynd
I read somewhere that having another root user is a good idea, since if you use that user and you see something running as 'root' then you can almost be sure it's a hacking attempt. Any truth to that?
No, because you should very well know exactly what you are doing when you are root to be able to decipher between your task (maybe user management) and something completely different (such as fdisk or sendmail). You can always view who's logged in:
w
Or
who
And you can see who you are:
whoami

However, if this is a non-production machine, non-networked and you are just "learning" on it, then that's a good way to "learn". Breaking things always teaches you exactly what not to do ;)

Cool

acid_kewpie 05-25-2003 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by KDE4me
enter vipw at the terminal and change the /etc/passwd /etc/shadow as root.
Happy camping!

again, whlie this is possible it should never be encouraged. thanks.

lectraplayer 05-26-2003 08:57 PM

I learned the hard way on a Tomsrtbt Linux disk that it was a bad idea to change the root password by editing the files. It knocked the Root completely out and I had to make another disk. I suggest you heed these warnings or you will likely find Linux unuseable to you (IE you will be locked out).

rinux 05-27-2003 09:00 AM

cruisty made me try and i was locked....... ;)

arunshivanandan 05-28-2003 12:03 AM

i want to know,how to give passwords (as root)to new users created by the root using useradd, how to use the option useradd -p.
arun

MasterC 05-28-2003 12:14 AM

Um, you just use it...

useradd -g 501 -G wheel,xcdroast,mysql -p password username

I'm not sure what else you really need to know? You can change the users password with root with:
bash#: passwd username
And it will prompt you for a new password for the user.

Cool


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