Give my user root privileges

[Nub Slayer]

Hi!

How can I make my standard account be exactly like root? You know how root=god and I can see everything and do everything with root? I could even see the desktop folder in the wallpaper as root. Well I want my normal user account to be like root.

root=god
myaccount=root
myaccount=god

I know I'm in for a world of pain enabling root, but if I'm using Linux instead of windows I think(probably not but meh) I know what I'm doing.

Thanks in advance!

[muzicman0]

Re: Give my user root privileges

I know I'm in for a world of pain enabling root, but if I'm using Linux instead of windows I think(probably not but meh) I know what I'm doing.

probably not.

Why would you want that? you can do anything as root just by using sudo. you can even enable root logins (search the forum)...but you are just asking for a broken system if you do what you are asking...

mm0

[dibl]

Re: Give my user root privileges

Better review #17 in the FAQs in my signature link -- there are reasons why you don't want to do what you're proposing to do.

[toad]

Re: Give my user root privileges

As far as my understanding goes, to go on the net with java enabled is just like using windows. Welcome rootkits, walk right in - you don't even need a Sony CD

You lose NO functionality using the sudo system and gain sweet fa.

Or are you trying it for hacking purposes? If so, you will find that most distros disable root logins via X for exactly the reason given above. It is plain daft. I know there is a system out there that deliberately leaves all doors open similar to what you propose but cannot for the life of me remember the name of it...

HTH

[claydoh]

Re: Give my user root privileges

And the slightly shorter official documentation on it is here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo

[toad]

Re: Give my user root privileges

Thanks for that link. I just found out about sudo !! yesterday! The ultimate nerd's dream

[dibl]

Re: Give my user root privileges

I just found out about sudo !! yesterday! The ultimate nerd's dream

@toad, we really need to get you back to London -- you're going barmy there in Bavaria!

[toad]

Re: Give my user root privileges

Well, now that would be my dream! But I try to look on the bright side - it looks like I'm moving to Berlin in the autumn which is miles better than slow, steady, boring, beer drenched Munich. But Old Blighty? Just to smell the disgusting odour of three month old chip fat again... Oh, to die for!

[GreyGeek]

Re: Give my user root privileges

The last major trojan infection of Linux was on about 25,000 boxes in Easter Europe over a two week period, where a bunch of users were using a commercial version of Linux which set up only ONE account, ROOT, and all users were running as root. Slapper was it's name, IIRC. It happened about the same time CodeRed was infecting several million Windows pcs an hour.

All together, there have been only six infective agents found in the wild in the last 15 years. Slapper occured around 2002, when Linux desktop share was about 4%. Now, it is around 8-10% but there are no mass Linux infections occurring, like the recent discovery of a 1.9 MILLION Windows bot farm controlled out of the Urkraine.

[Nub Slayer]

Re: Give my user root privileges

I switched form the UAC-ridden vista to linux, only to find linux is worse? I just want to know how to give root to my account. Seeing that I just switched it doesn't matter if I screw up somewhere I can install again kubuntu and stick with sudo. But first I want root power.

[toad]

Re: Give my user root privileges

you will find that most distros disable root logins via X... I know there is a system out there that deliberately leaves all doors open similar to what you propose but cannot for the life of me remember the name of it...

Go look for it

[claydoh]

Re: Give my user root privileges

I switched form the UAC-ridden vista to linux, only to find linux is worse? I just want to know how to give root to my account. Seeing that I just switched it doesn't matter if I screw up somewhere I can install again kubuntu and stick with sudo. But first I want root power.

I suggest giving it more of a go. it is NOT like UAC from my admittedly short experience level with Vista. Now that was awful! Kubuntu does not ask for permission every time you twitch or look sideways at something.

Give the sudo method a try first. This is an ages-old topic that regularly pops up with some new users, but a vast majority see that it Just Works and is both more secure and easy and transparent to use

but of course you can do whichever you choose

[brasslover]

Re: Give my user root privileges

I switched form the UAC-ridden vista to linux, only to find linux is worse? I just want to know how to give root to my account. Seeing that I just switched it doesn't matter if I screw up somewhere I can install again kubuntu and stick with sudo. But first I want root power.

I suggest giving it more of a go. it is NOT like UAC from my admittedly short experience level with Vista. Now that was awful! Kubuntu does not ask for permission every time you twitch or look sideways at something.

Give the sudo method a try first. This is an ages-old topic that regularly pops up with some new users, but a vast majority see that it Just Works and is both more secure and easy and transparent to use

but of course you can do whichever you choose

+1

Your account already has admin privileges, its just that Kubuntu is designed to only let you use those rights when it is absolutely required. In case you haven't realized yet, the times when those rights are absolutely required is actually a pretty short list and includes such things as:

• Installing software
• Upgrading the system
• Modifying some items under "System settings" like certain display settings or disk mount points (I'm still on KDE3, not sure if this item is be named differently on KDE4)
• Manually modifying a configuration file under /etc or reviewing certain log files in /var
• ??

I really can't think of much more than this and most of these you're not even going to need to do very often. The point is, using sudo you'll have exactly the level of priviledge you need at the time in order to do whatever it is you need to do - nothing more and nothing less - and you're pretty much going to know ahead of time whenever admin priviledges are required.

This is an inherently more secure design than that "other OS" that has been alluded to which gives each user full admin rights 100% of the time by default. Understandably, it does take a bit of change in thinking to get used to this, so why not give it another shot and see how unobtrusive it can actually be?

[Nub Slayer]

Re: Give my user root privileges

Upon searching a bit more I stumbled upon this.

You could have told me so I'm not allowed to ask this kind of questions, "No, you're not supposed to ask this, back off".

So, can anyone send me the instructions to yukarinchan(at)gmail.com (don't worry this is not my main e-mail)? I would be deeply grateful.

On another note, sudo is starting to look good. The thing is, I wanted my migration to be as seamless as possible, so I tried to be like an admin in kubuntu then gradually lessen the power, ending at the current model, that is sudo.

First I want admin power then escalate down from there.

(Oh, and sorry for my awkward English, not my first language)

Thanks in advance!

[claydoh]

Re: Give my user root privileges

Your english is fine

And we are not ubuntuforums, and we don't have any policy on this issue.
Ubuntuforums had to do as they did as sooo many people were breaking their systems on such a regular basis by enabling root that they had to stop referring to it, even though the info is found on Ubuntu's wiki.

the link in my first reply has all you need.

I do not advocate this at all, and I think your logic is flawed for doing so. You have all the power right now, I just don't think you fully realize this. Give it a full day. Or 2. Really.

But if you do enable root, you may not be able to get any assistance with problems. I usually don't offer any in these cases.