On Mon, 26 Feb 2001, Michael R. Jinks wrote:
> Matthew Melvin wrote:
>
> Finally a word on philosophy: Don't forget who's in charge here. When
> "The Documentation" says that "CommandX is a restricted,
> system-administration command," don't forget who owns the machine. You
> Are Root. This is your house, so to speak. Of course it's a terrible
> idea to log in as root too often, because sooner or later you will make
> a mistake and cause yourself grief. Segmentation of user permissions is
Additionally, don't treat root as the plague, but rather as a very big
gun. Yes, you can shoot almost anything with root. Including your own
foot. That doesn't mean you WILL shoot it off. The safe advice is just
don't carry the gun in the first place, but many people routinely do and
get along just fine. I usually have a root shell open somewhere, but
then I watch where the thing is pointed. :) Whether you should or not is
up to you.
My other piece of advice covers the "My system is single user behind a
firewall, I don't care about security". I agree, security is probably not
a concern. TODAY. One thing I've noticed is that Linux/UNIX systems tend
to live a lot longer, and go longer between fresh installations than other
OSes. So the compromises made today may be okay, but not for six months
from now, when you let a friend or 12 login to your machine or something
along that line.
Better to learn good habits now, as the learning applies to both today as
well as the future.
$.02
Bill Carlson
--
Systems Programmer [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Opinions are mine,
Virtual Hospital http://www.vh.org/ | not my employer's.
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics |
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