autologin as root

[intuvati]

yea, i mean what i say when i want to have kde boot directly into root. no point trying to warn me about the dangers about using root, i have enough experience with linux to manage a system as root and i have absolutely no woories because i dont really care if my system gets so screwed up it cant even run -- that's how i learn -- anyway, when i was using feisty, i had it set up so that kdm would not even go to the login prompt; it would just log me in as root automatically. here is the last section of my kdmrc file:

# Core config for 1st local display
[X-:0-Core]
# The VT the X-server should run on; auto-assign if zero, don't assign if -1.
# Better leave it zero and use ServerVTs.
# Default is 0
#ServerVT=7
# Enable automatic login. USE WITH EXTREME CARE!
# Default is false
#AutoLoginEnable=true
# If true, auto-login after logout. If false, auto-login is performed only
# when a display session starts up.
# Default is false
#AutoLoginAgain=false
# The delay in seconds before automatic login kicks in.
# Default is 0
#AutoLoginDelay=1
# The user to log in automatically. NEVER specify root!
# Default is ""
#AutoLoginUser=root
# The password for the user to log in automatically. This is NOT required
# unless the user is logged into a NIS or Kerberos domain. If you use this
# option, you should "chmod 600 kdmrc" for obvious reasons.
# Default is ""
#AutoLoginPass=
# Immediately lock the automatically started session. This works only with
# KDE sessions.
# Default is false
#AutoLoginLocked=true
# See above
ClientLogFile=.xsession-errors

# Greeter config for 1st local display
[X-:0-Greeter]
# See above
#PreselectUser=Default
# The user to preselect if PreselectUser=Default.
# Default is ""
#DefaultUser=root

as you can see, i have autologin allowed an the autologin-user is root. however, it does not work. i tried it through kcontrol under the convinience tab in login manager, and root doesn't show up, leaving me with the conclusion that gutsy just simply does not allow it. however, i swear i had it running right after i upgraded from feisty (understandable) but what i dont get is that i can also swear that i had it working after my FIRST clean install of gutsy (yes, i'm on my second or third install, i mess around a lot). So, the main obective is to have kdm log me in as root automatically without a prompt. Any ideas? by all logic that i can see, it should be doing it... then again, i'm still youthful in journey with linux.
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never haviing to put in a password when using a program that needs root authority is bliss
forum/community support is much better than any tech-support i've ever used

[integr8e]

Re: autologin as root

. . . yes, i'm on my second or third install, i mess around a lot . . .

[kubicle]

Re: autologin as root

If you really are adamant on removing password checks (which isn't very secure as you probably know)...I'd 'recommend' not logging in as root but removing password checks for sudo. (That way you don't run everything with root privileges which will make you very vulnerable not only to malicious scripts, but to program or human errors. You can still start programs 'as root' with sudo or kdesudo without password checks)

To disable password checking edit /etc/sudoers and add the line:
%admin ALL = NOPASSWD: ALL
under
%admin ALL = (ALL) ALL

After that, all users in the admin group can run everything as root without password checks (you still have to use sudo or kdesudo to start them, but of course you can edit the program shortcuts for programs you wish to run as root so you don't have to type in sudo or kdesudo every time).

I can't recommend this to anyone, but it's your machine. :P

[Fredh]

Re: autologin as root

If you really, really want to do this I found this in google. You know: www.google.ocm

HowTo: First Go to gnome start menu and go to system-->Administration-->User and Groups
There search for the user "root". U will find it. After choosing root, click on "properties" and change the password to something u want. there will be a system generated random root password which you have to erase and set a new one of your choice. once you are done come out of that and close all windows.
THEN, again from start menu go to System --> Administration --> Login Screen Setup.
There go to the "security" tab and CHECK "allow root to login with GDM". Close all windows and log out of GNOME and on to GDM.
type root, root's password that u had set and log in as root!

Now all you have to do is login with root and then go back to the login manager and choose login without password for root on the last tab. I don't know what it is in english. Mine is french.

[intuvati]

Re: autologin as root

i thank you all for your concern, it means that you guys really care about people. the real reason i want root is just convinience. i really dont care, not one bit, if anything happens at all, but ONLY because i can have a fresh install on a clean hd in less than an hour. i'm not on a network, i''m behind a router, and s no matter what happens to my comp, i can always get my stuff back. it's actually very liberating to know that whatever goes wrong, it can't really hurt me. however, i am interested in the idea of loggin in as user and only loggin in as root to the apps that need root. it does sound more secure. again, i thank you for your replies, and i'll try some of the above alternatives when i get back from school. :P Talking to real people is so much more enjoyable!

p.s. - i absolutely do NOT reccomend any of the procedures on this post to anyone who cares the slightest bit about their computer (especially newbies).

[SheeEttin]

Re: autologin as root

the real reason i want root is just convinience

Not a good reason.

Based on your last post, I'd suggest just going with the usual way: Use a standard user and only use sudo/kdesu for root when necessary.

sudo vs. kdesu: Use "sudo" when running a command-line application like vi, and "kdesu" when using a GUI application like Kate. (Essentially, if it connects to the X server, it gets kdesu.)

[cantab]

Re: autologin as root

If you're hell-bent on running X as root, my advice is don't use ubuntu! Ubuntu is setup to disallow it, and it's hassle to change it. Go run Debian or Fedora and you can have your root desktop no problems.

But you seriously shouldn't need to do this. If you encounter permission problems with a program, the solution is not to use root, the solution is to change permissions, or add your user to relevant groups.

Even if you think you won't mess up, you leave yourself more open to being badly compromised. Just for good measure, some programs will refuse to run as root and INSIST on being a normal user :-P

[Rog131]

Re: autologin as root

thank you all for your concern, it means that you guys really care about people. the real reason i want root is just convinience.

This is Linux, so you can do as you want.

Common sense
- Measure Twice, Cut Once.
- Backup before.


Enabling root password, Root Revival, Enabling Graphical Root login:

FAQ: Root Password
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3089088.0