Another reason to prefer a real root over sudo

[Chris G]

On Mon, Feb 02, 2009 at 12:19:14PM +0100, Loïc Grenié wrote:
> 2009/2/2 Chris G <cl at isbd.net>:
> > I have just discovered another reason why I don't like sudo.
> >
> > I have just installed xubuntu 8.10 on my wife's machine (to replace XP).
> > It has accounts for me and her and the children.  My account has sudo
> > privileges.
> >
> > When I want to install something I have to log out the current user
> > (if it's not me) then log in as me, then I can run synaptic.  If it
> > had a root account I could simply run synaptic and give the root
> > password.
> 
>      You can log-in as you without logging out the current user.
>   You can use ssh from the command-line
>   (ssh -t -l me localhost sudo synaptic) if you have installed
>   openssh-server.
> 
... and then you end up with all sorts of convoluted X authentication errors.


> > OK, it's not a disaster and there are several ways around the issue, I
> > could give my wife's account sudo privileges or I could use apt-get from
> > the command line (having changed user to me).  However none of them is
> > particularly covenient and it's a pain if I want to install something
> > to fix an immediate 'on screen' problem.
> 
>      It's simple enough to add a script that does the
> 
> xterm -e "ssh -t -l me localhost gksudo synaptic"
> 
>  and put it in the "standard" menus. You'll have the xterm hanging
>  around until synaptic is closed.
> 
>     There are without any doubt (much) better solutions. Hope this
>   helps save a little frustration,
> 
The neatest and tidiest solution is to have a root account IMHO, it's
what I've done on my desktop computer and on the others around the
house, I'll probaly do it on the wife's computer as well.

-- 
Chris Green