Quote:
Originally Posted by k_oudom
Is it possible to login GUI as root on CentOS 5.3?
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Yes. I have done so several times. It required no special action compared to logging in GUI as an ordinary account.
I will assume you are responsible enough to exercise appropriate care while logged in GUI as root. You have seen the advice telling you not to do so at all. I can't say for sure that they are wrong. But I disagree with them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by k_oudom
But sometime I need GUI to do the job.
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Almost any system admin task that can be done via GUI could also be done by command line if you know how (I generally don't know how). Individual GUI programs can be run as root even while logged in GUI as non root. That is safer then having the whole GUI desktop root.
I personally balance the high probability of mistakes caused by being distracted by the extra overhead of doing things the "safer" way vs. the lower probability of doing something destructive in the side activities (anything that didn't really need to be root run during the necessary root activities). So I decide to use root GUI when I need to do any root activities that aren't easy otherwise.
But I do use and advise a dual login when doing something complex as GUI root that requires online searches for instructions or other details:
At work (using Centos and Windows) I use some form of remote desktop so the browser I use for searching the instructions is not on the same account nor even the same computer as the one on which I am using root GUI.
At home (Mepis) I just use Ctrl-Alt-F7/F8 to switch between a non root GUI running browser etc. and a root GUI running what needs to be root (and of course the desktop style is very different so I am constantly reminded which is which).