using scanner 'unsafe' as root
 

Hi all


Everytime I run Xsane, in slackware10, logged in as root, it says that it is 'unsafe
' to use the scanner as root login,

Why?

It is very bad practice to run any form of software as root unless you absolutely have to.

There are various reasons for this. The root user bypasses almost all of the protection in the operating system, and can easily do nasty things, like infecting (read-only!) executable files with viruses as well as severly messing up your system if you miss-type things, or if you get a nasty bug. (The first known Linux virus was posted to usenet around 1994 I think).

Rule of thumb: Never use a root login except when you have to. You'll soon know when you have to. The root user exists only to let you configure and update the computer and shouldn't be used for any other reason.

Yea... Just the developer trying to tell you what to do with your own system, thats all... Damn annoying if you ask me. FreeCiv is another one that pisses me off.... Won't even let you start the game if your root. I don't use xsane just got I got sick of hearing it. OpenBSD always pisses me off when I log in as well..... It is good practice to not run as root, generally speaking anyway. I find it a little condecending tho when people suggest what I should and shouldn't do, especially when a software program starts doing it.

Do what you want..... And let's not turn this into a UID flame war. Already been in more than I care to count. Not gonna do it on this one. Users are to Mandrake as Root is to Slackware. I found that I learned alot quicker if I ran as root initially. Thru the good and the bad alike. I'm an uber tweaker who likes to constantly modify and tweak things and I most certainly am not going to 'su' 20 times a day.... ;) Thats even more annoying than someone telling me not to run as root.

So the moral of the story in a nut shell is to do whatever the hell you like, whenever you like, with all things in life as long as it doesn't hurt others. If you hurt yourself in the process, then you've just learned a valuable lesson, haven't you? ;)

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