Monday, February 14, 2011

[LINUX_Newbies] Re: What is root user

 

On 14Feb2011 06:57, Rob <sun408b@yahoo.com> wrote:
| I hear Unix ,Linux and Mac have root user what is that.

It is a special user (also known as the "superuser") who is not
constrained by the system permissions; they may open any file et, and
also perform various other privileged operations (become another user,
shut the system down, etc).

| I thought a root is top level of the directory .

The same word, used for a different purpose.

| Also I hear in Unix ,Linux and Mac the user cannot modify, install, or remove anything with out password.

Not true. Users may install stuff anywhere they have permission to do
so. _Normally_, a user has permission to work in the own home directory.
Within there they can thus install software, write data files etc.

_Outside_ their home directory, they will normally not have rights to
modify things.

So, doing a "system wide" install, such as software that other users
will use because it it in the "standard" places generally needs to be
done by the "root" user. Many systems provide an interface that _runs_
as root, and asks the user for a password before proceeding to do the
install _for_ them. That will be what you have heard of.

Cheers,
--
Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au> DoD#743
http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/

Senior ego adepto, ocius ego eram.

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