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Re: [Desktop] What accounts on a machine?



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On Saturday 26 October 2002 3:55 am, Steve Langasek wrote:
> On Sat, Oct 26, 2002 at 02:02:24AM +0100, Alan Chandler wrote:
> > Just a brick to throw in the pond
> >
> > If you are creating a system for newbies - you will presumably still need
> > a root account.
> >
> > What newbie will understand the name "root".
>
> What's to be understood?  It's the proper name for the thing.  Calling
> it 'admin' glosses over the details that someone administering their own
> machine, newbie or not, NEEDS to be educated about in order to use their
> computer safely.

- From a technicians point of view you are exactly correct - but the question I 
am asking (and if we want to create desktops for the masses we must at least 
ask the question) does it have to be.  Isn't something like administrator a 
much more logical name for someone not in the know.

Formally root is uid=0 gid=0 - but does the name "root" stem from anything 
more than the entry in /etc/passwd? Could it be changed. Would things still 
work of it was?

Ultimately - after some discussion - a concensus might be that you are correct 
and it should not be changed - but I think we at least have to ask ourselves 
are these sacred cows really that sacred.




- -- 
Alan Chandler
alan@chandlerfamily.org.uk
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