linuxgeek: Re: [LINUX_Newbies] Two users on one computer

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Re: [LINUX_Newbies] Two users on one computer

Good afternoon.
Mi Jul 31 15:34:43 2013
Thank You for Email and help.

> | > | >>> su user2
> | > | >>> sudo firefox
> | > |
> | > | will open open firefox in the existing X session of "user1" while
> | sourcing
> | > | user2's firfeox profile/bookmarks, etc.
> | >
> | > Yes, but only because you're now running firefox as root! Surely
> | > not the plan. It also tends to litter your homedir with root owned
> | > files ready to cause inconvenience later.
> | *
> | Is this the same situation
> | today I am booting as user1
> | and
> | tomorrow I am booting as user2.
>
> Try to avoid this notion of "booting". Booting is what happens when
> you shut the machine down and start it up.
*
This I wanted to stay.
To start the computer in the morning.

You may be doing that,
> but it is overkill. Just log out, and log in as someone else. If
> your desktop has some kind of "switch user" facility, that is even
> more convenient.
*
Ok.

>
> | What kind of firefox are 1 and 2 using?
>
> They'd be running the same firefox, but as different users. Hopefully
> with the files in each user's specific home directory. This is
> reliably done using separate desktops, one as each user.
*
I think they block each other.

>
> When you start using "su" you have some pitfalls to consider. Many
> programs rely on the $HOME environment variable to decide where
> files should go. If you use "su user2" instead of "su - user2" then
> $HOME will probably be user1's home directory. Chaos ensues. The
> program may well try to write where it has no permission.
>
> Worse is plain "su" or "su -". That means "su root" or "su - root".
> It will have the same "wrong directory" issues, but root will not
> be troubles by permissions. It may well write all sorts of files
> on user1's home directory, owned by root. The user1 will have trouble
> laters when he/she encouters these files.
>
> Conversely, (with "su -") the program may run as root, and you end
> up leaving personal stuff in root's home directory.
>
> Keeping things in distinct desktops and avoiding "su" is far less
confusing.
*
OK.

Regards
Sophie