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Re: I want to enable root on a Lion

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On Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:55:16 -0400, Tom Stiller wrote:

> In article <4f8f8d6d$0$16115$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net>,
>  Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurtrie@pixelmemory.us> wrote:
> 
>> In article <jollyroger-3D17DC.17292318042012@news.individual.net>,
>>  Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
>> 
>> > In article <4f8ee410$0$16194$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net>,
>> >  Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurtrie@pixelmemory.us> wrote:
>> > 
>> > > In article <jollyroger-58A1F3.06055018042012@news.individual.net>,
>> > >  Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
>> > > 
>> > > > In article <2012041815001482727-info@stconinccom>,
>> > > >  Torsten Jørgensen <info@stconinc.com> wrote:
>> > > > 
>> > > > > I did it with a Tiger, but Lion does not have NetInfo, so what
>> > > > > then?
>> > > > > 
>> > > > > Can you become root user on a Lion at all?
>> > > > > 
>> > > > > /Torsten
>> > > > 
>> > > > I have to ask: Why bother?
>> > > 
>> > > I can think of a couple cases quickly.
>> > > 
>> > > It can be useful for machines that have a simple task to perform
>> > > and only one administrator.  In such a case, the complexity of
>> > > multiple user roles can be more of a risk than an asset.  Unix ACLs
>> > > are error prone and Apple's poorly supported ACL on top of that is
>> > > an absolute nightmare to keep correct.
>> > > 
>> > > Server consoles commonly have a root login for emergency
>> > > maintenance without having to use single-user mode. (Remote root
>> > > access can be disabled.)
>> > 
>> > Explain how enabling the root user account would be preferable to
>> > using the sudo facility which is already at your disposal.
>> 
>> You wouldn't be at the console running emergency maintenance if sudo on
>> a remote terminal worked.  The biggest difference is that the root user
>> has a small amount of spare resources reserved for it.  A resource leak
>> (files, memory, processes, sockets, etc.) will lock out an admin but
>> not root.
> 
> I can't recall the last time I saw a unix system administrator permit
> remote login to the root. Doing so provides no accountability.
> 
> Responsible administrators require an ordinary user login followed by
> either a 'su' to switch to the root account or 'sudo' for one-time
> privilege escalation.

And I tested that the other day on several flavours of Linux.  Only one 
of them failed the test, but it's quite easy to fix.

-- 
Paul Sture

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I want to enable root on a Lion Torsten Jørgensen <info@stconinc.com> - 2012-04-18 15:00 +0200
  Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2012-04-18 06:05 -0700
    Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurtrie@pixelmemory.us> - 2012-04-18 08:55 -0700
      Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2012-04-18 17:29 -0700
        Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurtrie@pixelmemory.us> - 2012-04-18 20:58 -0700
          Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2012-04-18 23:28 -0700
            Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurtrie@pixelmemory.us> - 2012-04-19 09:21 -0700
              Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2012-04-19 11:22 -0700
          Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Tom Stiller <tom_stiller@yahoo.com> - 2012-04-19 08:55 -0400
            Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch> - 2012-04-24 11:07 +0200
  Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Sara <saramerriman@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2012-04-18 14:28 +0100
    Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2012-04-18 17:31 -0700
      Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Sara <saramerriman@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2012-04-19 14:17 +0100
        Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2012-04-19 06:54 -0700
          Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Sara <saramerriman@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2012-04-19 15:17 +0100
            Re: I want to enable root on a Lion jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz (Jamie Kahn Genet) - 2012-04-20 03:49 +1200
              Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Sara <saramerriman@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2012-04-19 16:56 +0100
                Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch> - 2012-04-20 16:56 +0200
                Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Wes Groleau <Groleau+news@FreeShell.org> - 2012-04-26 18:53 -0400
                Re: I want to enable root on a Lion JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2012-04-26 19:49 -0400
              Re: I want to enable root on a Lion nospam@see.signature (Richard Maine) - 2012-04-19 09:20 -0700
                Re: I want to enable root on a Lion jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz (Jamie Kahn Genet) - 2012-04-20 05:45 +1200
                Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2012-04-19 11:25 -0700
            Re: I want to enable root on a Lion Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2012-04-19 08:59 -0700
  Re: I want to enable root on a Lion nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2012-04-18 07:00 -0700
  Re: I want to enable root on a Lion jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz (Jamie Kahn Genet) - 2012-04-19 02:31 +1200

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