Why does the root account not prompt for a password after a screen lock?

GazL · 08-30-2017, 08:19 AM

One would hope that in the 9 years since this thread was posted people would have learnt not to login to X as root anyway.

Anyway, welcome to LQ, but please, let sleeping threads lie.

John VV · 08-30-2017, 02:43 PM

many OS's will not even let you login to the gui as root
-- at least without hacking it

MadeInGermany · 08-30-2017, 05:56 PM

Many OS?
All commercial Unixes had CDE and encouraged it for root login.
By default there was a screenlock, with a password.
Remote login as root was forbidden by default.
CDE was designed for safety (lacking many features that could affect safety).
For example, if one managed to kill or crash the screenlock, the desktop session was terminated.

jefro · 08-30-2017, 06:28 PM

Maybe a mod in newbie can cut this new part out or old thread?

I think we call all agree that most OS's were never well designed to be secure by default. It has taken way too long for all of us to get used to the ideas of best practices.

GazL · 08-30-2017, 06:46 PM

Yes, it was much less of an issue back when things were designed properly and you didn't have all this dbus and *Kit shenanigans going on in the background. I still use a minimal window manager and an xterm for my X11 environment. The fancy integrated desktops like kde/gnome have always left me cold.

When it comes to using the root account, I've always favoured Matt Welsh's "Magic Hat" analogy from the old "Installation and Getting Started" guide:

Quote:

Put another way, if you picture using the root account as wearing a special magic hat that gives you lots of power, so that you can, by waving your hand, destroy entire cities, it is a good idea to be a bit careful about what you do with your hands. Since it is easy to move your hand in a destructive way by accident, it is not a good idea to wear the magic hat when it is not needed, despite the wonderful feeling.