Linked by Kroc Camen on Thu 22nd Jan 2009 17:52 UTC
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Member since:
2008-08-26
You thinking is close but needs just a little bit of clarification. The reason installs require root is because AFTER the install is complete it is the only way to harden a system. Most people don't run hardened systems but for those of us who do consider:
1. An executable can write to a directory. That same directory can not be executed from.
2. A directory that can be written to must not ever allow executions from.
To achieve those two points the software must be run under a limited account. The exe can run from C:\Progs but only write to C:\user\desktop. C:\Progs can never be written to by the user. The user can write a file to their desktop using notepad.exe. An exploit to the web browser would not allow a virus to live on the system.
Thus an installer must be ran as root because not only must it execute, it must write to a directory that will later be executed from.
I did not explain this the best way but hopefully you got it!