su vs. sudo

sahko · 03-28-2009, 07:15 AM

I am curious.

Hangdog42 · 03-28-2009, 07:41 AM

Can't answer the poll because it isn't an either/or problem. For one-line commands I use frequently, I tend to use sudo, for longer sessions as root, I'll use su.

H_TeXMeX_H · 03-28-2009, 08:05 AM

I say sudo is overrated, I don't even install it.

sahko · 03-28-2009, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hangdog42

Can't answer the poll because it isn't an either/or problem. For one-line commands I use frequently, I tend to use sudo, for longer sessions as root, I'll use su.

That sounds like an "I do".

allend · 03-28-2009, 08:22 AM

The only place that I use sudo is in my laptop so that I can do suspend to disk without having to su to root.
For all the rest, if I want to play God, then su and typing a password is a small price to pay. I like the discipline of thinking about whether I really need root privileges to perform a task.

garyg007 · 03-28-2009, 11:01 AM

Neither one!.

If I need root access to a folder, I will open it using file-manager in super-user mode;

If I need root privileges at a command line, I will open the terminal program in super-user mode.

Jeebizz · 03-28-2009, 11:15 AM

I don't use sudo. I might see a 'slight' advantage to not having to type in your root password to do certain administrative tasks, but in the long run to me that can be a security risk if somebody else is using your computer and decides to mess around with commands. Especially if the user is unexperienced, and stumbles upon sudo, you may as well just gives them your root account. I prefer su. To me it is a lot safer anyways. Plus I am also too lazy to even bother setting up sudo.

Jeebizz · 03-28-2009, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyg007

Neither one!.

If I need root access to a folder, I will open it using file-manager in super-user mode;

If I need root privileges at a command line, I will open the terminal program in super-user mode.

Technically you ARE using su, especially in CLI mode. The only thing is you are not ACTUALLY typing 'su', but are presented with a password prompt, its just that 'su' has already been called upon for you by the super user terminal, or super user mode in a file manager. You are merely typing your password for root.

adriv · 03-28-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeebizz

but in the long run to me that can be a security risk if somebody else is using your computer and decides to mess around with commands. Especially if the user is unexperienced, and stumbles upon sudo, you may as well just gives them your root account.

I agree with that. My kids know my normal user login password, so they'd also have access to sudo (which is not a very good idea...).
Plus, my root password is a lot harder to guess,

hitest · 03-28-2009, 12:05 PM

I use su.

brianL · 03-28-2009, 12:53 PM

Su's the girl for me.

C-Sniper · 03-28-2009, 01:18 PM

I use su, unless I have to open a gui from console, then I have to use sudo.

Nille_kungen · 03-28-2009, 03:13 PM

'su -c' if i only need one command and 'su -' if i need to work as root.

Hangdog42 · 03-28-2009, 03:47 PM

Quote:

I might see a 'slight' advantage to not having to type in your root password to do certain administrative tasks, but in the long run to me that can be a security risk if somebody else is using your computer and decides to mess around with commands. Especially if the user is unexperienced, and stumbles upon sudo, you may as well just gives them your root account.

Unfortunately, the perceptions of sudo have been completely ruined by the bastardization that *buntu has promoted. You shouldn't be using sudo to grant general root access, that isn't what it is intended to do (even though it can). The whole purpose of sudo is to grant root access to a limited number of commands. Anyone using sudo to grant general root privileges is abusing it.

bergman · 03-28-2009, 04:02 PM

yeah I do what Hangdog suggests, I use sudo, but exact commands which shouldnt do any harm if someone other than myself got on to the system.

Burning discs (cdrecord requires root permission), mounting discs, running security tools like kismet and rkhunter.

I will su for occassional commands though.