Hi folks,

I'm now prepared to proceed on following section

6. Installing Basic System Software
http://www.sg.linuxfromscratch.org/l...chapter06.html

On following "Note"
>>
The remainder of this book is to be performed while logged in as user root and no longer as user lfs
<<

I'm not very clear of the instruction. I proceeded previous Sections while login as LFS Root with following command

[satimis@localhost ~]$ su - lfs
Password: (enter 'LFS Root' password)

Whether the above refers to 'user root'

What is 'user lfs'? Please advise. TIA

B.R.
satimis

Lfs - Linux from Scratch.

The root user on any linux distro is the one user who has access through permissions to change or modify any file. Regular users can not write files on in the '/' directory, and therefore mess up the system. The system administrator logs in as root to change things as necessary. That person needs to be knowledgeable. If you are new, keep reading and learning. You will get there.

Most often you use the root user to install Linux software and make global changes to the system, like modifying key system configuration files.

'lfs user' refers to any user the root creates, not root. You should make one user for each person who wishes to use the system, even if you are the only user. After initial installation there will be a root user. You create a user for your self. If you have more people sharing the machine, create a user for each one of them, and an initial password. When you create a user, the system creates a /home directory structure. This is where each user will store their files.

Hi camorri,

Tks for your detail advice.

While building LFS on previous sections I always login LFS Root or "user root" as the book mentions. I haven't created a 'User' account yet on this LFS under building.

If I understand correctly that I only login as before on the FC3 host PC to proceed;

i.e.
[satimis@localhost ~]$ su - lfs
Password: (enter 'LFS Root' password)

same as in previous sections.

If I'm wrong please correct me. TIA

B.R.
satim

I have not used LFS, as I understand what you have written, you are correct. my comments were intended to give you some understanding of the root user, and the power it has. Why you should (will) create a regular user later on. Continue to follw the instructions. They will give you a better understanding of Linux as you proceed.

As stated, "root" is the all-powerful user. You do not want to use this user until you have to.

The admonition to set up a separate user, called (say) lfs, distinct from your own regular login, is an extremely sound one. The reason why is that you can set up bash-profile settings for this account (different from the ones that you have or would prefer on your personal account) which are specifically tailored toward making sure that, when you launch your LFS system, there are no dependencies upon the host.

(Incidentally, very early on, I adopted the practice of setting up a sysmaint user-id which is used solely for system maintenance (of the host system). It is an account that I log on to when performing these tasks, and which has the capabilities and access that I would need only for these tasks; yet it is not 'root.' This is done so that any nasty-stuff that might try to run on my personal account ... can't do anything special. So I apply the same principles to host-system maintenance as I do/did when setting up LFS.)

Hi sundialsvcs,

Tks for your advice.

[B]As stated, "root" is the all-powerful user. You do not want to use this user until you have to.

The admonition to set up a [i]separate[/u] user, called (say) lfs, distinct from your own regular login, is an extremely sound one. The reason why is that you can set up bash-profile settings for this account (different from the ones that you have or would prefer on your personal account) which are specifically tailored toward making sure that, when you launch your LFS system, there are no dependencies upon the host.

On Linux distro for maintainence, we login

$ su -
Some folks term it as "Super Root". It is for system maintainence.

$ su
for login as "Root" to do job as Root other than system maintainence.

I have not set up either "su" nor "'User" yet because the building of LFS has not been completed yet.

B.R.
satimis

I haven't used su - nor was I previously aware of this parameter.

The reasoning for the sysmaint account (and this is not the real name, by the way) is that this is the account which has the file-access privileges, is the member of the wheel group and so-on, which has the ability to reach files beyond those normally accessible to an average-Joe. Although it is tempting to simply make your regular user-account have this level of access, it is unwise to do so.

This maintenance-user alone can log in, issue the appropriate newgrp command, and perform system-maintenance (to files other than those which require root, which are strictly limited to "the system itself." It has kept me from blowing my foot off several times.

(p.s. why "wheel?" I have no idea... that does seem to be the default group-name that "big wheels" on a Unix/Linux system use.)

Hi sundialsvcs,

Tks for your reply.

Neither I have a clear picture of "su -". What up to my notice is that some commands have to login as "su -". If as "su" they do work.

B.R.
satimis

Putting a '-' after su, as the manpage (try typing 'man su') says, simply provides the same environment as if the user had logged in directly, i guess by running their individual login script and chosen shell and changing to their home directory, but for most cases the difference doesn't seem to be too important. Indeed, when using su for maintenance, I would think that a simple 'su' or 'su root' would be more convenient (and familiar).

Hi decates,

Noted with thanks

B.R.
satimis