how can i change the root name

rinux · 05-24-2003, 12:46 PM

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 ??!!

manthram · 05-24-2003, 01:00 PM

edit the /etc/passwd file

it is really a very bad idea to change root name

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