The Wanderer wrote: > In which case I return to my original comment on that point: although > there might be situations where this setup could make sense, they would > _not_ be for the casual user. As a setup for a sole computer intended to > be administered by its sole user, this is simply a crazy design. I, like you, feel that being able to log in using a root password is an essential requirement. However it is also true that Ubuntu is designed for the non-technical and Ubuntu has chosen to disable the root password by default and to provide sudo as the root access method. Although I agree with you that it is crazy I have to admit that there are a lot of Ubuntu machines out there with root login disabled. I have also seen the problem where users have a very difficult time managing their *one* login password. If they are also the system administrator for the host then they must also manage the root password making them need to know *two* passwords. For some people needing to manage two passwords is overwhelming. They can never figure out which one to provide and at which times. It is tragicomical! Therefore Ubuntu's choice to keep the user with only a single one password and then use it for everything and sudo for root access is understandable. Even on Ubuntu where that is the default it is perfectly okay to set a root password (with '# passwd root') and then continue normally. Those that know this and want it do it. It isn't required not to have a root password. Debian also allows this "single user password and then use sudo strategy" at install time. At install time if you don't set a password for root and leave the dialog box empty then it won't set an empty password for root. Instead it will disable the root password and set up sudo. Normally in Debian sudo isn't installed at debian-installer time but in that case it is installed. I wrote more words on this topic in these messages. http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2013/10/msg01670.html https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2013/08/msg00509.html Bob
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