su / root / linuxconf / shutdown / bastille
 

Hi! I'm kinda new to unixes and I was wondering if you guys could help me out. I'm sure it's a pretty dumb question, but I can't seem to be able to figure it out.

Is there a way to run programs like linuxconf without logging as root? Ie. if I log on as a regular user then su to get to root, I can't run stuff like linuxconf, shutdown... Is there a way to run them without exiting to the first logging prompt and reloging in as root?

The reason I ask is that I recently installed Bastille-Linux (www.bastille-linux.org) on top of RH7.1 and checked the option to restrict the root login (can't log as root directly, must log as regular user then su). So now I have no idea how to run the stuff mentionned above and I'm kinda stuck.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
midnight

but.... if you su to root, then you CAN run shutdown and so forth... can't you???

I'm running rh71 too, and i can use shutdown straight from a user prompt. Check the permissions of the files...

[root@simon chris]# ls -l /sbin/shutdown
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 14396 Apr 4 13:06 /sbin/shutdown
[root@simon chris]#

I guess you could make other programs like linuxconf run by fiddling with the suid bits of various files, but i really can never manage to make those work...

but then if you've configured bastille too secruely, then you may well have locked yourself out! You can always boot into single user mode and change things that way tho. bootdisk or whatever

chris
xxx

would be a contradiction to first tighten security with Bastille & then setting SUID or perms on shutdown, IMO...
why dont u use sudo? with sudo u grant a regular user to use system tools provided they got the pass for the account. its flexible, preconfigured args are possible as well so ppl could reboot like "sudo shutdown -r now" but not "sudo shutdown -h now".

To access the root console and roots Konqueror whilst logged in as a user.

For roots console:
1. press Alt + F2
2. type 'kdesu konsole'
3. enter the root password.
4. you now have the root conslole and can shutdown or do other.

For quick shortcut to the desktop:

Go to 'K / Applications / Shells/ ' and drag the icon to the Desktop and create the link for roots 'su' conslole.


For roots Konqueror:
1. press Alt + F2
2. type 'kdesu konqueror'
3. enter the root password.
4. you can now use roots konqueror.

Hi
Try su -
That changes your path to /root/ and things should work.
Jim