root for admin only - no access to private data

[toad]

Scenario:

I am planning computer admin etc. for a business using Kubuntu 8.04. They don't want me to be able to look at their data - but I've got to be root to do the admin successfully (and from afar using ssh).

I would need to know the answer for a) a single machine set-up and 5) for a server and five clients.

I can't for the life of me think of how to do it and unfortunately have no great server experience Still, they want it and I'd be stupid if I didn't at least look into it.

Any hints, links, etc. are greatly appreciated...

[jankushka]

Re: root for admin only - no access to private data

root is the omniscient user on unix/linux systems.
if you know the root password, you can do everything you want.
guess they need to use some encrypted file system.
hth

[dibl]

Re: root for admin only - no access to private data

If you can set up their system first, and then provide instructions for loading their data, that would leave your eyeballs off their data.

The problem, of course, being the root user and password.

It's a little clunky, but I guess you could move away from the system at the point where the root user and password are set, and let their guy do that, but you'll have a helluva time every time you need to restart the system during the installation and configuration process.

[toad]

Re: root for admin only - no access to private data

First of all thanks for your replies!

Why didn't I think of encrypted partitions? That is simple and pretty fool proof as far as I can see.

Quite right, dibl, I don't fancy fixing the system via the phone with a complete computer illiterate as an intermediary between me and the command line