Is there any way to set up a user as root without actually being "root" in Mandrake 9.1. What I want is to continue using my user account, but have permissions to read/write every directory on my hard drive without becoming root in a terminal or running a file manager in superuser mode. Does anyone else ever think about this?

Yes, yo0u can set up a user to be root privilaged without loggin in as root. But no, you do not, EVER, do this.

This would make your system as backwards, insecure, and stupid, as a windows system is, allowing anyone who hacks in or sits down to do anything and everything they want.

If you need privelages when installing a program or such, open a terminal window.

xhost + localhost
su
root password
install software
close window to close off the root access to your files.

All right, you said it was possible. Can you tell me how. Here's the thing: No one uses my computer except for me. Everyone I know hates linux and won't get within 2 meters of it, so there's no danger of anyone else messing around with it. I already login to root through a terminal for everything anyway, I just want to do it automatically. Besides the more you break it the more you learn it.

The same for me! So how can it be done?

Your doctor must be very rich!

Seriously, if you run everything as root, you will become very good at reinstalling the entire system because as root you can easily remove or screw up essential files. You will not get a warning; you'll just be hosed. Security is but one part of why you don't want to be root all the time.

Steve

Yes, its possible, and its easy to set.
I will not give information on changing it though, nor should anyone else in this matter, as "DONT DO IT"

Its not something that should ever start to become popular in linux, if you need access that bad, go change the file permissons on a few, but not all, of the folders you need, and never change the /root/ or /bin/ or anything important, just subfolders.

Can I just take this opportunity to ask why you want root access all the time? And, if your intention is to create a user that has all of roots permissions, why not just log in as root and be done with it?

You won't tell me, eh? What does it matter, though. I want to be a user that has universal access to my computer. It is *my* computer after all. And yes, I've become quite adept at reinstalling my system. I've been breaking computers for years: it's how I learn. The reason I don't log in as root is because I get messages telling me I *shouldn't* be logged in as root. It's annoying. Plus, I get no sound when I log in as root. Why should I be forced to sacrifice the functionality of my system just to have access to *my* folders. It doesn't make sense. I can understand in the traditional sense why you wouldn't dream of doing this for users of a system, but come on! We're moving into a new era, people! I run linux on my computer down in my basement. I want privileged access. I *will* get privileged access.

U just have to CHMOD the entire /
As root U can even do it in GUI! But then again just login as root and U have all the access!

Theirs a much safer way to do this. Add your name to the roots group permision. You will have access but nobody else will.

Thankyou.

Remember one thing. If you're running as root or with root-like privilege on a network attached to the net...if you get hacked (ie: "rooted") the attacker (or worm) will have the privileges of the user he compromises (ie: You...root). Running as user offers many security advantages and stops no one from "learning" linux.

And using 'su' and 'sudo' you can do almost all (with very very few exceptions if any) things you could do as root, only a lot more secure.

Quote
*Why should I be forced to sacrifice the functionality of my system just to have access to *my* folders. It doesn't make sense. *

Why should the rest of have to put up with people like you, who leave your computer wide open to everyone and everything on the internet, just like windows, so we gotta deal with your stupid viruses, spam, and every bit of CRAP that comes out, all because you couldnt deal with a perfectly normal and resonable restriction?

Fine, run it as root, but keep the DAMN thing offline for the sake of the rest of us who dont want to put up with linux becoming the FPOS that windows is.

Easy tiger!

We have already established that dtheorem is adept at re-installing Linux. So, let it be!

A word of advice for you, dtheorem, do not use the command rm -rf / under any circumstances when running as root! I hope you can guess what it does. I would seriously reconsider your actions, though. For the sake of typing in 1 extra line every now and then, you can save yourself lots of hassle!

Not to be argumentative but I would only "Let it be" if dtheorem promised that his system would never touch a modem or LAN attached to the net.

If you surf the net, like it or not you have the RESPONSIBILITY to make sure to the best of your abilities that your system isn't going to be used to trash or hinder other systems. Period. I think because most people use Windows and blame M$ for all the security exploits people forget that NO networked system is uncrackable and that steps need to be taken to protect them.

If dtheorem wants to be willfully stupid that's his right (personally I don't see how running as user limits him in any way unless you really don't want to learn...but I don't know everything so maybe he WILL learn something I don't know.). I say willfully stupid because people who responded to this thread have put forth EXCELLENT reasons why it is unsafe to do what he wants to do...as opposed to ignorant as in "I didn't know".

Don't take this as a flame against dtheorem, he wants to play and break his system to learn and that's ABSOLUTELY great...I heartily agree with the goal he's going for (I question his methods, but that's a different thing)...however, he is NOW aware of the consequences of his actions and *hopefully* his responsabilities.

dtheorem: If you want to run as root and learn go for it. Just do the net a favor and unhook your modem/cablemodem before you do.