It kinda make sense to me though. I haven't used linux for long but I'm learning fast (after several aborted attempts over the years ). I guess I was just lazy and wanted root privileges while I was setting up my DVB card and MythTV. In Ububtu, using sudo appears to give root privileges while somehow operating as the user logged in (someone correct me if I'm being too simplistic here). I don't think it constitutes a bug but it certainly can be a trap! At least, that's how it looks to me. Fortunately, I found out how to correct the problem so this thread was a real help to me.