Torvalds: requiring root password for mundane things is "moronic"
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 28th Feb 2012 23:11 UTC
Linux Linus Torvalds on requiring the root password for mundane tasks. "So here's a plea: if you have anything to do with security in a distro, and think that my kids (replace 'my kids' with 'sales people on the road' if you think your main customers are businesses) need to have the root password to access some wireless network, or to be able to print out a paper, or to change the date-and-time settings, please just kill yourself now. The world will be a better place." Yes, it's harsh (deal with it, Finns don't beat around the bush), but he's completely and utterly right. While there's cases where it makes sense to disable certain settings (public terminals, for instance), it is utterly idiotic that regular home users have to type in their root password for such mundane tasks.
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RE: Run as root!
by Gone fishing on Wed 29th Feb 2012 12:47 UTC in reply to "Run as root!"
Gone fishing
Member since:
2006-02-22

I have absolutely none of those problems. I just run as root all the time. Heck, root IS my user account.

and

Stop being a sissy. Every time you sudo a command, you deserve to have your man card taken away

wtf

This is the high testosterone you'll never take me alive bastards school of computing?

Seriously using root as your account how is that anything other than stupid? What is difficult about sudo –i if you don’t want to sudo all the time? You want to enable root no problem to administer the system but to use it as your personal account?

Surely Linus's point is you should only need to use root to administer the box not to use it.

Reply Parent Score: 2

RE[2]: Run as root!
by Soulbender on Wed 29th Feb 2012 13:14 in reply to "RE: Run as root!"
Soulbender Member since:
2005-08-18

I think he's being sarcastic, what with the Windows 95 reference and all. At least I hope he is.

Reply Parent Score: 4

RE[2]: Run as root!
by lucas_maximus on Wed 29th Feb 2012 18:40 in reply to "RE: Run as root!"
lucas_maximus Member since:
2009-08-18

Relevant.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/24/bofh_2006_episode_8/

But aren't you afraid you'll accidentally type in some command that would crash the system?"

"No more that I'm afraid I'll accidentally say something like You're a complete fraud!"

"That's completely different."

"Yes, it's a lot easier to say something without thinking than to type it."


While humorous illustrates an important point.

Not running as Root is for people that can't be trusted.

If it is your own box and you decided to do something that requires root, you are just going to say "f--k it I will use sudo" .. and run the command anyway.

Super user is there for an Admin to stop stupid people killing their systems. I don't consider myself stupid.

So I run as Admin ... and I use my intelligence to defend against threats.

I am also one of the few people that have worked in a development company that didn't have a development environment ... well I did but it was also the Live environment so I like to fly by the seat of my pants.

Edited 2012-02-29 18:42 UTC

Reply Parent Score: 2