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Groups > comp.os.linux.misc > #81375 > unrolled thread
| Started by | Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> |
|---|---|
| First post | 2026-01-20 21:00 +0000 |
| Last post | 2026-01-21 09:12 +0100 |
| Articles | 20 on this page of 106 — 19 participants |
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“What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-20 21:00 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-01-20 13:15 -0800
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-21 08:21 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Jason H <jason_hindle@yahoo.com> - 2026-01-21 21:24 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-01-21 13:52 -0800
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-01-20 21:43 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-20 23:28 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-21 03:44 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-01-20 23:07 -0500
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-21 09:15 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-21 09:14 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-21 08:22 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-21 11:53 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-21 22:18 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-01-20 19:47 -0500
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” vallor <vallor@vallor.earth> - 2026-01-21 01:40 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-01-20 20:59 -0500
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” vallor <vallor@vallor.earth> - 2026-01-21 08:50 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-21 11:19 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-01-21 07:35 -0500
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-21 12:43 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-21 23:50 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-01-21 19:12 -0500
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-01-22 00:20 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-22 10:12 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-01-22 20:40 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Ralf Fassel <ralfixx@gmx.de> - 2026-01-22 14:45 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Harold Stevens <wookie@aspen.localdomain> - 2026-01-22 09:57 -0600
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-22 18:51 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-01-22 20:13 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-01-22 12:30 -0800
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-01-23 05:55 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-23 14:37 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-01-23 22:09 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-23 23:27 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-01-20 21:03 -0800
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-21 11:19 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-21 23:44 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-22 10:40 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-22 21:03 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-23 12:29 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 w ays you should abso lutely never use it ” vallor <vallor@vallor.earth> - 2026-01-23 14:46 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-21 08:50 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-21 11:19 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-01-21 18:33 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-01-21 14:33 -0500
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-01-21 21:15 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-01-21 18:59 -0500
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-01-22 05:26 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> - 2026-01-21 20:07 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-21 23:49 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-01-21 01:00 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-21 09:14 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-21 10:00 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-21 12:04 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-21 22:32 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-21 23:51 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-22 03:06 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-22 10:42 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-22 10:11 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-22 21:42 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-22 20:44 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-22 13:06 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-22 12:30 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-22 21:11 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Andreas Eder <a_eder_muc@web.de> - 2026-01-22 11:24 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-22 11:52 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-22 13:08 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Andreas Eder <a_eder_muc@web.de> - 2026-01-22 17:50 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-22 17:17 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-22 20:15 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-22 21:08 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-22 22:46 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-23 11:04 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-23 12:32 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-23 15:00 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-23 18:16 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-01-23 09:32 -0800
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-23 18:19 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-24 14:22 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-25 09:45 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-01-25 17:14 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-25 21:52 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-01-25 15:31 -0800
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-26 12:00 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-23 21:00 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-23 22:30 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-01-23 22:30 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-24 14:21 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-01-24 21:05 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-25 15:05 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2026-01-24 11:31 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-24 14:19 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-23 12:30 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-22 21:06 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> - 2026-01-23 15:10 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-22 21:05 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-01-22 22:48 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-23 12:32 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-23 11:40 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-23 18:17 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-23 18:20 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-01-23 22:36 +0000
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-01-23 21:44 -0800
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-24 14:23 +0100
Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2026-01-21 09:12 +0100
Page 2 of 6 — ← Prev page 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 Next page →
| From | The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-21 12:43 +0000 |
| Message-ID | <10kqhkn$23pp0$1@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #81431 |
On 21/01/2026 12:35, Chris Ahlstrom wrote: > Marc Haber wrote this post by blinking in Morse code: > >> c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> wrote: >>> And is this "sudo su" or just "sudo" ? >> >> sudo su is always wrong. > > Sure bro, sure. > Zere iss only vun right way, and zat is ze German way (or swiss) -- "A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding". Marshall McLuhan
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| From | Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-21 23:50 +0000 |
| Message-ID | <10kroo0$2hv00$3@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #81422 |
On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:19:35 +0100, Marc Haber wrote: > sudo su is always wrong. It’s hilarious the number of people who use both programs in the one command. ;)
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| From | Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-21 19:12 -0500 |
| Message-ID | <10krq1p$2htvf$5@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #81454 |
Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote this post by blinking in Morse code:
> On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:19:35 +0100, Marc Haber wrote:
>
>> sudo su is always wrong.
>
> It’s hilarious the number of people who use both programs in the one
> command. ;)
It can save entering the password. Useful on a closed home
network.
--
FORTUNE'S GUIDE TO DEALING WITH REAL-LIFE SCIENCE FICTION: #6
What to do...
if a starship, equipped with an FTL hyperdrive lands in your backyard?
First of all, do not run after your camera. You will not have any
film, and, given the state of computer animation, noone will believe
you anyway. Be polite. Remember, if they have an FTL hyperdrive,
they can probably vaporize you, should they find you to be rude.
Direct them to the White House lawn, which is where they probably
wanted to land, anyway. A good road map should help.
if you wake up in the middle of the night, and discover that your
closet contains an alternate dimension?
Don't walk in. You almost certainly will not be able to get back,
and alternate dimensions are almost never any fun. Remain calm
and go back to bed. Close the door first, so that the cat does not
wander off. Check your closet in the morning. If it still contains
an alternate dimension, nail it shut.
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| From | rbowman <bowman@montana.com> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-22 00:20 +0000 |
| Message-ID | <mtd8r9F5kipU1@mid.individual.net> |
| In reply to | #81454 |
On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:50:25 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote: > On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:19:35 +0100, Marc Haber wrote: > >> sudo su is always wrong. > > It’s hilarious the number of people who use both programs in the one > command. ;) 'su' requires the root password and I have no idea what it is. 'sudo su' required my password and I become root.
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| From | The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-22 10:12 +0000 |
| Message-ID | <10kst77$2t8jm$5@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #81459 |
On 22/01/2026 00:20, rbowman wrote: > On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:50:25 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote: > >> On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:19:35 +0100, Marc Haber wrote: >> >>> sudo su is always wrong. >> >> It’s hilarious the number of people who use both programs in the one >> command. ;) > > 'su' requires the root password and I have no idea what it is. Sudo passwd root ? 'sudo su' > required my password and I become root. -- "It is an established fact to 97% confidence limits that left wing conspirators see right wing conspiracies everywhere"
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| From | rbowman <bowman@montana.com> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-22 20:40 +0000 |
| Message-ID | <mtfga9Fgf1jU2@mid.individual.net> |
| In reply to | #81479 |
On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:12:55 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote: > On 22/01/2026 00:20, rbowman wrote: >> On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:50:25 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote: >> >>> On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:19:35 +0100, Marc Haber wrote: >>> >>>> sudo su is always wrong. >>> >>> It’s hilarious the number of people who use both programs in the one >>> command. >> >> 'su' requires the root password and I have no idea what it is. > > Sudo passwd root ? I see no reason to go there. I don't remember when the Linux distros transitioned from having an unlocked root account with a password but I've managed to do anything that needs to be done with sudo for years. I wish I still had the source but we used to have a utility called 'gosu'. Everyone compiled their own after modifying the source for their user name and then set 4755. I think the owner was changed to root. Primitive, but it worked and didn't require a password.
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| From | Ralf Fassel <ralfixx@gmx.de> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-22 14:45 +0100 |
| Message-ID | <ygao6mlzrpd.fsf@akutech.de> |
| In reply to | #81459 |
* rbowman <bowman@montana.com> | [...] 'sudo su' required my password and I become root. I thought that was what "sudo -i" was for, but there might be subtle differences w/ regards to which login-specific files are read. R'
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| From | Harold Stevens <wookie@aspen.localdomain> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-22 09:57 -0600 |
| Message-ID | <slrn10n4i6u.1376.wookie@aspen.localdomain> |
| In reply to | #81491 |
In <ygao6mlzrpd.fsf@akutech.de> Ralf Fassel:
> I thought that was what "sudo -i" was for
Right. Signals the user (for sudo, that's root) login environment.
From the sudo manpages:
-i, --login
Run the shell specified by the target user's password database
entry as a login shell. This means that login-specific resource
files such as .profile, .bash_profile, or .login will be read by
the shell.
--
Regards, Weird (Harold Stevens) * IMPORTANT EMAIL INFO FOLLOWS *
Pardon any bogus email addresses (wookie) in place for spambots.
Really, it's (wyrd) at att, dotted with net. * DO NOT SPAM IT. *
I toss (404) GoogleGroup (404 http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/).
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| From | Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-22 18:51 +0100 |
| Message-ID | <10kto3f$3djvp$1@news1.tnib.de> |
| In reply to | #81491 |
Ralf Fassel <ralfixx@gmx.de> wrote: >* rbowman <bowman@montana.com> >| [...] 'sudo su' required my password and I become root. > >I thought that was what "sudo -i" was for, but there might be subtle >differences w/ regards to which login-specific files are read. sudo -i is the equivalent of sudo su -, while sudo -s will give you the same as sudo su. Just without using two tools. I don't understand why people in this very thread insist on being RFC1925 6a compliant. Greetings Marc -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marc Haber | " Questions are the | Mailadresse im Header Rhein-Neckar, DE | Beginning of Wisdom " | Nordisch by Nature | Lt. Worf, TNG "Rightful Heir" | Fon: *49 6224 1600402
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| From | rbowman <bowman@montana.com> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-22 20:13 +0000 |
| Message-ID | <mtfeo1Fgf1jU1@mid.individual.net> |
| In reply to | #81491 |
On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:45:34 +0100, Ralf Fassel wrote: > * rbowman <bowman@montana.com> > | [...] 'sudo su' required my password and I become root. > > I thought that was what "sudo -i" was for, but there might be subtle > differences w/ regards to which login-specific files are read. > > R' Force of habit? -i works. I very seldom use the option and didn't know about -i. I don't remember the timeline but when I first started using Linux you would set a root password. 'su' would ask for that password and you would become root. It's been a long time but iirc there was a flag so you could retain your user environment which was handy if you had a lot of aliases. Then when the root account was locked and didn't have a password 'su' wouldn't work but 'sudo su' seemed logical and it works. One twist is 'sudo su' leaves you in the same directory where 'sudo -i' puts you in / root.
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| From | Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-22 12:30 -0800 |
| Message-ID | <10ku1df$3b523$1@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #81510 |
On 1/22/26 12:13, rbowman wrote: > On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:45:34 +0100, Ralf Fassel wrote: > >> * rbowman <bowman@montana.com> >> | [...] 'sudo su' required my password and I become root. >> >> I thought that was what "sudo -i" was for, but there might be subtle >> differences w/ regards to which login-specific files are read. >> >> R' > > Force of habit? -i works. I very seldom use the option and didn't know > about -i. > > I don't remember the timeline but when I first started using Linux you > would set a root password. 'su' would ask for that password and you would > become root. It's been a long time but iirc there was a flag so you could > retain your user environment which was handy if you had a lot of aliases. > > Then when the root account was locked and didn't have a password 'su' > wouldn't work but 'sudo su' seemed logical and it works. One twist is > 'sudo su' leaves you in the same directory where 'sudo -i' puts you in / > root. > I am fine with root and with user passwords and even machine passwords. Well here is a little article written some time ago. Why PCLinuxOS Shuns sudo Use < https://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/201205/page11.html> The way the 'buntus and some others use it is insanely insecure. On PCLOS we "use su -" and yes that is a space before the hyphen/dash whatever you want to call that short horizontal line. Then you will enter your root passworkd end up in "/" and I suggest that your call from the terminal would be to "mc" unless you are a skillful typist with all the Linux commands at your fingertips. Leaving the space and dash out may destroy your access to your /home/user files. Then you would need to learn "chown". bliss- Dell Precision 7730- PCLOS 2026- Linux 6.12.66 pclos1- KDE Plasma 6.5.5
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| From | rbowman <bowman@montana.com> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-23 05:55 +0000 |
| Message-ID | <mtggq5Fln9pU3@mid.individual.net> |
| In reply to | #81511 |
On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:30:39 -0800, Bobbie Sellers wrote: > I am fine with root and with user passwords and even machine passwords. > > Well here is a little article written some time ago. > Why PCLinuxOS Shuns sudo Use > < https://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/201205/page11.html> https://www.zdnet.com/article/pclinuxos-used-to-be-great-for-linux- newbies-but-not-anymore/ As I've mentioned before, I think Wallen is a hack, but so it goes. This has piqued my curiosity though. How many current distros as you to set a root password during the installation versus going the 'Ubuntu' route and using sudo unless you go out of your way to create a root password and activate the root account? I can su on the Arch box although I use sudo. https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/ReduceInitialSetupRedundancy This talks about live installs of Fedora Workstation and not the spins but by the time I installed the KDE spin the root password creation had been dropped.
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| From | "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-23 14:37 +0100 |
| Message-ID | <d6ac4mx67l.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> |
| In reply to | #81531 |
On 2026-01-23 06:55, rbowman wrote: > On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:30:39 -0800, Bobbie Sellers wrote: > >> I am fine with root and with user passwords and even machine > passwords. >> >> Well here is a little article written some time ago. >> Why PCLinuxOS Shuns sudo Use >> < https://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/201205/page11.html> > > https://www.zdnet.com/article/pclinuxos-used-to-be-great-for-linux- > newbies-but-not-anymore/ > > As I've mentioned before, I think Wallen is a hack, but so it goes. This > has piqued my curiosity though. How many current distros as you to set a > root password during the installation versus going the 'Ubuntu' route and > using sudo unless you go out of your way to create a root password and > activate the root account? > > I can su on the Arch box although I use sudo. > > https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/ReduceInitialSetupRedundancy > > This talks about live installs of Fedora Workstation and not the spins but > by the time I installed the KDE spin the root password creation had been > dropped. openSUSE creates a root user with the same password as the first user, by default. You can click somewhere and use a different password. sudo works with the user password, at least for the 1st user. I have not tried a second user. [...] A second user can sudo to root with root's password. Tested on 16.0. -- Cheers, Carlos. ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
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| From | rbowman <bowman@montana.com> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-23 22:09 +0000 |
| Message-ID | <mti9s3F359U1@mid.individual.net> |
| In reply to | #81548 |
On Fri, 23 Jan 2026 14:37:49 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote: > openSUSE creates a root user with the same password as the first user, > by default. You can click somewhere and use a different password. Okay. My last OpenSUSE was 13.2 and I don't remember how I set it up 10 years ago. > sudo works with the user password, at least for the 1st user. I have not > tried a second user. > > [...] > > A second user can sudo to root with root's password. That could be a problem although for most people the Linux box is single user anyway. A more realistic scenario is the Makespace laptops the library converted to Linux Mint. There has to be at least one person to administer the machines. However the laptops are used by the kids for Arduino programming and other projects so there has to be another user that is not in the sudo group. I don't think each kid gets their own login although that may be a problem in the long run. The Arduino IDE saves the sketches in /home/user/ Arduino and added libraries in /home/user/.arduino15.
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| From | "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-23 23:27 +0100 |
| Message-ID | <879d4mx2at.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> |
| In reply to | #81573 |
On 2026-01-23 23:09, rbowman wrote: > On Fri, 23 Jan 2026 14:37:49 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote: > > >> openSUSE creates a root user with the same password as the first user, >> by default. You can click somewhere and use a different password. > > Okay. My last OpenSUSE was 13.2 and I don't remember how I set it up 10 > years ago. At that time, you set the passwords separately, but you could type the same password. > >> sudo works with the user password, at least for the 1st user. I have not >> tried a second user. >> >> [...] >> >> A second user can sudo to root with root's password. > > That could be a problem although for most people the Linux box is single > user anyway. I suppose there is some configuration somewhere to define this priviledge, I just never looked at it. carlos@Gollum:~> groups carlos wheel carlos@Gollum:~> Gollum:~ # cat /usr/etc/sudoers.d/50-wheel-auth-self Defaults:%wheel !targetpw %wheel ALL = (root) ALL Gollum:~ # So that's how. No "users" group. This is a change in 16.0. carlos2@Gollum:~> groups users carlos2@Gollum:~> Oh? :-o > > A more realistic scenario is the Makespace laptops the library converted > to Linux Mint. There has to be at least one person to administer the > machines. However the laptops are used by the kids for Arduino programming > and other projects so there has to be another user that is not in the sudo > group. I don't think each kid gets their own login although that may be a > problem in the long run. The Arduino IDE saves the sketches in /home/user/ > Arduino and added libraries in /home/user/.arduino15. > > > > -- Cheers, Carlos. ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
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| From | Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-20 21:03 -0800 |
| Message-ID | <10kpmma$1rdj1$1@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #81395 |
On 1/20/26 17:40, vallor wrote: > At Tue, 20 Jan 2026 19:47:14 -0500, c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> wrote: > >> On 1/20/26 16:43, rbowman wrote: >>> On Tue, 20 Jan 2026 21:00:59 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote: >>> >>>> Yeah, but sudo *is* for running things as root! You think running them >>>> via sudo is any better than however else you were thinking of doing >>>> those things as root? >>> >>> Sudo limits the damage. Become root with 'sudo su -' and you'd better not >>> have lapses of attention. I think it was OpenSUSE where if you were root >>> the wallpaper turned bright red with round, black bombs with smoking >>> fuses. >> >> 'sudo', as often implemented, is NOT safe. PI-os >> doesn't even ask for yer user PW. >> >> You CAN tweak sudoers ... tighten things up a bit, >> but that's more work and, if like me, you never >> use 'visudo', just 'nano', you'd better get the >> syntax right. >> >> The alt is to have NO 'sudo'. If you are concerned >> about security then this may be the best and easiest >> path. Open a terminal, 'su', then you need the ROOT >> password. > > I have a file in /etc/sudoers.d that includes this directive: > > Defaults targetpw > > So I need the root password to sudo to root. > Only if you are adept with a terminal. I set my machine, my root and my own user password on my machine. But I use terminals or specific GUI programs and get access to things that change my machine by using "su -" or the root password in requesters for those GUI programs. Since I started with Mandriva none of this is strange to me since I have been doing it for going on 20 years. On the original AmigaOS there were no root accounts and no package managers. We didn't do checksums and essentially booted into the root account whenever we booted up. Of course the AmigaOS didn't even have an IP stack. 35 years ago, at least, on AmigaOS using gui fast as any x86 500 MHz on a 14 MHz 68000MC. No internet only BBS on Terminal programs. bliss- Dell Precision 7730- PCLOS 2026- Linux 6.12.66 pclos1- KDE Plasma 6.5.5
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| From | Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-21 11:19 +0100 |
| Subject | Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” |
| Message-ID | <10kq97r$31q7b$1@news1.tnib.de> |
| In reply to | #81395 |
vallor <vallor@vallor.earth> wrote: >I have a file in /etc/sudoers.d that includes this directive: > >Defaults targetpw > >So I need the root password to sudo to root. I find that a bad idea. If you know the root password, you can also su, and thus the better control possibilities that sudo offers are moot. Greetings Marc -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marc Haber | " Questions are the | Mailadresse im Header Rhein-Neckar, DE | Beginning of Wisdom " | Nordisch by Nature | Lt. Worf, TNG "Rightful Heir" | Fon: *49 6224 1600402
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| From | Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-21 23:44 +0000 |
| Subject | Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” |
| Message-ID | <10krocv$2hv00$1@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #81421 |
On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:19:35 +0100, Marc Haber wrote: > ... and thus the better control possibilities that sudo offers are > moot. There seems to be this feeling that sudo is overly complicated and prone to its own ongoing security vulnerabilities.
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| From | Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-22 10:40 +0100 |
| Subject | Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” |
| Message-ID | <10ksrba$3a0n1$1@news1.tnib.de> |
| In reply to | #81452 |
Lawrence D´Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote: >On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:19:35 +0100, Marc Haber wrote: >> ... and thus the better control possibilities that sudo offers are >> moot. > >There seems to be this feeling that sudo is overly complicated and That surely is not a very wrong stance. sudo is quite complicated, and I would probably have stopped using it (chaning to either runas from the BSD universe or run0 from systemd) if I weren't maintaining the Debian packages. Configuring sudo to require the targetpw doesn't help with that AT ALL, it just makes things worse. >prone to its own ongoing security vulnerabilities. What are the currently ongoing security vulnerabilities in a current sudo? I need to know that. Greetings Marc -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marc Haber | " Questions are the | Mailadresse im Header Rhein-Neckar, DE | Beginning of Wisdom " | Nordisch by Nature | Lt. Worf, TNG "Rightful Heir" | Fon: *49 6224 1600402
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| From | Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2026-01-22 21:03 +0000 |
| Subject | Re: “What a Linux root user can do - and 8 ways you should absolutely never use it” |
| Message-ID | <10ku3at$3bc8q$4@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #81470 |
On Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:40:57 +0100, Marc Haber wrote: > Lawrence D´Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote: >> >> There seems to be this feeling that sudo is overly complicated and >> prone to its own ongoing security vulnerabilities. > > What are the currently ongoing security vulnerabilities in a current > sudo? I need to know that. I did a quick search and found this one <https://thehackernews.com/2025/09/cisa-sounds-alarm-on-critical-sudo-flaw.html> from just a few months ago. The list they linked to shows a couple of other items, one happening every few years <https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=sudo&field_date_added_wrapper=all&field_cve=&sort_by=field_date_added&items_per_page=20&url=>. Searching at cve.org shows a new one, from this year <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-22536>. I even see a few mentioning sudo-rs, which is a reimplementation of sudo in Rust.
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